American actress and model Gabrielle Union-Wade has recounted a moment from her visit to Ghana, where retracing the footsteps of her ancestors became an encounter, she said she will never forget.
Speaking on Reclaiming with Monica, Gabrielle talked about visiting a site known as the “River of No Return”, a place believed to have been used during the transatlantic slave trade to wash and prepare enslaved Africans before they were shipped away.
The actress said the visit was physically and spiritually intense, as it helped her better understand the pain and strength of those who came before her.
According to her, their guide explained that the enslaved were made to walk distances comparable to traveling from New York to Florida.
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“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 recalled.
Gabrielle went on to describe how the emotional weight of the moment took a toll on her mother, who suddenly collapsed as they made their way toward the river.
“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,” she said.
According to Gabrielle, in that frightening moment, she heard the comforting voice of her late grandmother assuring her that her mother would be fine.
“Very clearly, I heard my grandmother’s voice, who’s been gone many, many years, say, ‘She’s all right. She’s all right.’ And she, you know, she took a break. She came back, she came to, they brought her numbers back to within reason. And she was like, ‘Take me to the river.’ And it was like, at that point, I’m already crying,” she stated.
The actress further recounted a moment that felt almost supernatural, involving her husband, retired NBA legend Dwyane Wade.
“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,” she added.
The actress said the sudden rain felt like a spiritual cleansing that brought everyone to tears.
“Luckily, we caught it. And he’s just standing there and he’s being, like, cleansed, if you will. But everyone was very, very emotional,” she added.
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AK/EB
