My Visit To Ghana Was A Spiritual Experience – Gabrielle Union

Hollywood actress and model Gabrielle Union has opened up about her visit to Ghana in 2022. She recently revealed that retracing the footsteps of her ancestors was a moment she will never forget.

Speaking on Reclaiming with Monica, Gabrielle recalled travelling to a place known as the River of No Return in Ghana, believed to have been used during the transatlantic slave trade to wash and prepare enslaved Africans before they were shipped.

According to her, her visit was physically and spiritually intense, but it helped her to better understand the pain and strength of her ancestors.

She stated that her guide said that enslaved people were forced to walk distances comparable to the journey from New York to Florida.

“We were in Ghana at the River of No Return where they would, you know, after basically marching our ancestors the distance from New York to Florida, they would put them in this river to clean them up and they’d, you know, lather them in grease to create the appearance of good health, to get the highest dollar,” she said.

Union further described a scary moment when her mother, in her late 70s, collapsed as they made their way toward the river.

The moviestar concluded by saying that after her mum later regained consciousness and insisted on visiting the river regardless of her health scare.

“As we were walking down towards this river, my mom falls out. And my mom is late 70s, and I’m thinking, oh, this is it. My mom just died. And everyone’s, and this is all, you know, the cameras were rolling. So this is all being caught. My mother revived and insisted that we take her to the river.

I kind of had lost track of where my husband was. And it was this beautiful sunny day, it was hot, beautiful sunny day. And my husband is in the river, and I just hear him scream. And I look over and his arms are outstretched, like Christ. And the sky opens up, and it is downpour out of nowhere. And it was the most cleansing, it was like something out of a movie.

Luckily, we caught it. And he’s juo: