Reparations, at its core, is a call for justice—a reckoning with the scars of slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism that have shaped the modern world. For centuries, the transatlantic slave trade displaced millions of Africans, creating a diaspora bound by shared history and enduring struggles for equality.
Today, conversations around reparations have gained momentum globally, with calls for compensation and reconciliation echoing louder than ever. A more humanized approach in this movement that is growing is a term, ‘Solidarity’ which unites the Black diaspora while developing meaningful connections. It’s a call for the Black diaspora to embrace their roots and explore their heritage.
As we reflect during Black History Month, we examine how art, travel, and solidarity within the diaspora can serve as tools to bridge divides, reclaim narratives, and inspire a collective movement toward reparative justice. We spoke with Allen Kwabena Frimpong, Co-founder and executive producer of ‘The Remedy Is Solidarity’, a global multimedia anthology on reparations.
ZEAL, which is a cooperative of artists and cultural stewards across Africa and the diaspora, leads conversations around reparations and champions art and culture for solidarity. ‘’Likened to the Akan Sankofa symbol, The Remedy is Solidarity gives us the opportunity to come to our past and take what we need from it to thrive into the future ‘’ says Allen.
ZEAL recently released a new multimedia initiative , The Remedy is Solidarity: A Global Multimedia Anthology on Reparations – Volume 1.1: Too Much Like Right. This latest volume supports the African American Reparations Advisory Committee in San Francisco, whose 2022 reparations plan is the first of its kind in the U.S. The social impact studio has held art exhibitions in Accra and across the world.
Travel, Reparations & The Black Experience
Travel plays a pivotal role in the cultural journeys of the Black diaspora to return and connect to their roots. We see a boom in annual pilgrimages to popular West African cities like Accra mostly at the end of the year. In fact, Ghana launched a campaign dubbed “Year of Return” and was recently updated to “Beyond the Return’’ to strengthen ties between the diaspora and the continent.
Solidarity tourism can serve as a step on the path to reparations as we think about the connection between art, travel and tourism. According to Smithsonian Magazine, solidarity tourism “creates economic opportunities for local communities, fosters real cultural exchanges between tourists and residents, and educates participants about the social, political and environmental issues at play in the places that they visit”.
We often see merry making as a theme for tourism instead of reflections and appreciation for history. ‘’The history and antiquity of Africa and its future of how we govern and relate to each other through our experience of travel ought to be standardized and we have devalued the need for that standard as a people’’ says Allen.
ZEAL’s The Remedy is Solidarity, vol. 0.3: a divination of enjoyment, was an immersive art exhibition that served as an educational vehicle that opened in Accra shortly after the Accra Reparations Conference in December 2024 and partnered with the “Beyond the Return” campaign through the Office of Diaspora Affairs in Ghana. The multimedia anthology has forthcoming sub volumes launching in California including the Central Valley’s historic and resilient town of Allensworth. The historic town was the first town in California “founded, financed, and governed by African Americans” the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park website proudly proclaims. Led by cultural stewards and co-curators Ariana Allensworth and Frederick Arnold Jr., the Allensworth sub volume titled Vol 1.3: Collectivism Futurism: Experiments in Solidarity Tourism features multimedia artist and worldbuilder-in-residence, AnAkA and is focused on “Unlearning, Understanding & Reprogramming towards Collective Interdependence from Allensworth to the World.”
‘’Travel affords us the opportunity to learn how to govern ourselves equitably and sustainably as a unified, diverse, and tribe of Black people across the diaspora from Accra to Allensworth.” – Ariana Allensworth
The Diaspora and Embracing Their Roots
As we celebrate Black History Month, it’s essential to reiterate the need for the Black diaspora to explore their ancestral lands. Solidarity starts with having a deep personal reflection on who we are. ‘’In African spiritual traditions, divination is based on us being able to ask ourselves the questions of what we want to learn’’ says Allen.
Without a direct connection to their roots, many in the diaspora are left to form their own understanding of Africa through the lens of media narratives and distorted history books. These sources often paint a one-dimensional picture of the continent—one defined by war-torn nations, widespread poverty, and corrupt leadership, profiting at the expense of its people.
This incomplete narrative overlooks Africa’s resilience, richness, and cultural contributions, and ZEAL’s “The Remedy is Solidarity” seeks to rewrite this narrative.
Looking Forward To The Future
As we look into the future, Allen believes it’s time for the Black diaspora to branch out and unite. “It’s because of all the things we’ve been stripped from, we owe it to ourselves to harness our culture as a space for redemption within ourselves” says Allen.
ZEAL is excited about the future after releasing its pilot comprising 4 volumes of multimedia anthology in Miami, Los Angeles, Accra and most recently San Francisco. With a forthcoming tour across California, in New York City, and soon to be announced other locations in the U.S and Global South.
ZEAL marks its 6th anniversary in 2025 with exciting plans and projects lined up for the year ahead. ZEAL plans to launch its new anthology Vol. 1”In a State of California Love, War Dreams and Reality, in summer 2025. This anthology will feature public art projects, including additional sub volumes like “Vol 1.2 Just Leisure’’, a processional for Black Santa Monica, curated by April Banks and Robbie Jones.
As we reflect on reparations and Black history, “The Remedy is Solidarity” calls for a reclamation and reshaping of these narratives. By connecting with the truth of Africa’s history, celebrating its enduring legacy, and fostering unity across borders, the diaspora can dismantle the distortions and rebuild a shared identity rooted in pride, strength, and collective empowerment.
Kofi Dotse is a travel writer and creative producer based in Ghana, but crossing borders through impactful work. His work has taken him to stunning locations across Africa, where he’s had the privilege of telling compelling stories and capturing the essence of Africa’s diverse cultures. You can find him on Instagram @kofigramm.
