US Actors Granted Guinean Citizenship
American actors Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors are scheduled to receive Guinean citizenship after DNA testing traced their ancestry to the West African nation. This marks Good's first visit to Guinea, with both expressing happiness about the trip.
Ceremony Details and Background
The citizenship ceremony, organized by Guinea's Ministry of Culture, is a private cultural event set to take place at a new tourist garden near the capital, Conakry. This initiative aligns with regional efforts to encourage individuals of African descent to reconnect with their heritage. Good, 44, and Majors, 36, married last year. Majors was previously sentenced to probation in 2024 for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and was mandated to complete a domestic violence intervention program. Upon their arrival, the actors received a welcome from officials and musicians. During their stay, they are expected to visit Boké, a coastal region known for its historic slave trade sites.
Pan-African Heritage Initiatives
Similar initiatives have seen several celebrities acquire citizenship in African countries in recent years. Ghana launched "The Year of Return" in 2019, inviting those with African heritage to engage with the continent. Notable examples include Stevie Wonder (Ghana, 2024), Ciara (Benin, 2023), and Samuel L. Jackson (Gabon, 2020). Guinea has a history of welcoming diaspora figures; in the 1960s, South African singer Miriam Makeba and US civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael moved to Guinea.
Guinea's Context
Guinea has experienced political shifts, including a military coup in 2021, which led to restrictions on media and protests. The country recently returned to civilian rule following elections last month. Despite its rich mineral resources like bauxite, iron ore, and gold, Guinea's population remains among West Africa's poorest.