Djimon Hounsou, Hollywood actor and Beninese-born American, is working to help African Americans connect with their ancestral roots. Through his foundation, the Djimon Hounsou Foundation, he is focusing on helping Black people discover their family roots lost during the transatlantic slave trade.
The foundation aims to bring awareness to the Gate of No Return located in Benin West Africa which is a monument marking the start of 1.2 million Africans being captured and shipped into slavery. Hounsou’s passion for connecting people with their lost ancestors was sparked by his role in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film Amistad which showed him the gruesome history of African people and how far reaching its effects were.
Hounsou, an Ambassador for Oxfam, UNICEF and SOS Children, created his foundation on December 2nd 2019 in order to serve communities that have been mistreated or overlooked throughout history and to help bridge gaps between cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
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The most recent activity of his Foundation is to “symbolically reverse the direction of the slave trade and celebrate homecoming,”. The actor intends to connect these individuals to their ancestral roots and culture through sponsoring cultural trips to Africa, hosting modern-day slavery talks, and running various events such as a two-day festival that celebrates African culture and identity.
They plan to achieve a cultural movement which will preserve Africa’s intergenerational identity and reconnect the countries of the diaspora with their motherland. Their initiatives also help people discover their own family roots, celebrate pluralism, freedom & equality in an effort to heal the wounds of slavery. The events are typically made up of locals, providing unique experiences for locals and visitors alike, while commemorating over 400 years of transatlantic slave trade.
The actor has also used his platform as an actor to spread this message of hope by starring in movies like Captain Marvel (2019) that feature strong female characters from diverse cultural backgrounds who fight for justice when faced with adversity. He believes that these powerful messages provide an understanding of the shared humanity in everyone and restore human dignity. The actor’s passion for connecting African Americans with their lost ancestors is admirable and inspiring.
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