From CNN podcasts to features in Vogue, last year the US mainstream media was awash with stories of the Great Blaxit of 2020 – the mass migration of black folks looking to flee endemic racism and economic hardship in the States in search of a new life overseas.
Yet while He Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken may have been a driving force in making the US a hostile environment for African Americans, the pandemic has also seen black folks in the UK begin to increasingly look at making moves to predominantly black countries.
In 2019, Ghana’s Year of Return initiative made the country a destination of choice for many Black Britons. More recently, however, the Caribbean, with initiatives such as the Barbados Welcome Stamp, is also proving to be a draw for many move-makers. For example, a newly launched WhatsApp group designed to help Afro-Caribbeans apply for Caribbean citizenship received over 100 applications on its first day of launch.