Actress and producer Gabrielle Union has opened up about her powerful experience visiting Ghana — specifically a site known as the “River of No Return,” where enslaved Africans were once washed and prepared before being sold into bondage.
In a deeply moving moment of reflection on Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, Union shared how the visit became a profoundly spiritual and emotional reckoning with her ancestry, family, and faith.
“We were in Ghana at the River of No Return where they would, after basically marching our ancestors the distance from New York to Florida, put them in this river to clean them up and lather them in grease to create the appearance of good health,” Union recounted. “It was to get the highest dollar.”
The Bring It On star described the experience as both harrowing and transcendent — a moment that bridged past and present, life and loss, grief and renewal.
A Mother’s Collapse, A Spiritual Awakening
Union’s recollection turned particularly emotional as she described a frightening incident involving her mother, who collapsed while they were walking toward the river.
“My mom falls out,” Union recalled. “And my mom is late 70s, and I’m thinking, oh, this is it. My mom just died.”
As cameras rolled, Union said she heard a voice — one she believed to be her late grandmother’s — reassuring her that her mother would be all right. Moments later, her mother regained consciousness.
“She took a break. She came back, she came to, they brought her numbers back to within reason,” Union said. “And she was like, ‘Take me to the river.’”
The family continued their journey to the river — a site that has become both a memorial and a sacred space for many members of the African diaspora who travel to Ghana seeking connection and healing.
A Moment of Cleansing and Connection
Union described what happened next as something “out of a movie.”
As she, her husband Dwyane Wade, and others entered the river to pray and meditate, an unexpected storm broke through the Ghanaian sun.
“It was this beautiful sunny day… and my husband’s in the river, and I just hear him scream,” she said. “And I look over and his arms are outstretched like Christ. The sky opens up and it just downpours out of nowhere. It was the most cleansing.”
Union said it felt as though the ancestors themselves had joined them in that moment — a reminder of enduring spiritual ties that transcend generations.
“It felt otherworldly,” she said. “But again, it’s like when you listen, the ancestors and you call upon them, they show up.”
Reclaiming Identity Through Ancestral Pilgrimage
Gabrielle Union and her family were in Ghana in 2022 as part of the West African country’s The Year of Return and subsequently, Beyond the Return projects to mark 400 years since the first recorded enslaved Africans landed in Virginia, United States.
Thousands of Americans of African descent, especially in the diaspora, have since visited, invested in, and reconnected with Ghana as part of the initiative.
For many who visited Ghana, such pilgrimages were not just about history; they were about healing. Standing where enslaved Africans last touched African soil is for them an act of remembrance and resistance — reclaiming dignity in the face of generational trauma.
Union’s account, however, adds a deeply personal dimension to this ongoing cultural renaissance. As a celebrity who has long used her platform to advocate for mental health, self-acceptance, and racial justice, her journey to Ghana becomes another advocacy and demonstrates her commitment to truth-telling and intergenerational healing.
The Power of Remembering
The “River of No Return,” located near Ghana’s Cape Coast, symbolizes both tragedy and transcendence. It is believed that enslaved Africans were forced into the river before being loaded onto ships bound for the Americas — their identities stripped, their humanity denied.
Today, it stands as a symbol of resilience, where descendants of the diaspora can honor the memory of those lost and reaffirm their connection to home.
Her closing words captured the heart of the journey:
“When you listen, the ancestors show up.”
