Sporting a scarf emblazoned with an image of Kamala Harris, shop owner Jimmie Thorne watched US election coverage on TV from his printing shop in Ghana’s capital Accra.
As US Election Day draws near, the 70-year-old is among a unique set of African American voters closely following the presidential race from the other side of the Atlantic.
In 2019, Ghana launched a programme encouraging members of the African diaspora to relocate to the West African country and reconnect with their roots.
Since the so-called “Year of Return”, which commemorated 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia, many African Americans have moved to Ghana and found a sense of belonging.
Launched by Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, the programme also attracted high-profile visitors such as television presenter Steve Harvey, actor Samuel L. Jackson and rapper Usher, boosting Ghana’s image as a global tourism destination.
But those who have made the move permanent often feel they have a dual identity. Many still vote in US elections despite the distance, with some even influencing their peers back home through advocacy and social media.
It is no secret that Thorne is one such voter.
He spoke to newsmen wearing a stars-and-stripes shirt, surrounded by Democratic Party paraphernalia.
