By Auburn Mann

2019 marks 4 full centuries since the first enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of North America. From the Arrival in Jamestown from what is believed to be modern day Angola this was a just a small chapter in the greater transatlantic slave trade which spanned several centuries and four continents.

This anniversary has inspired Ghana to brand 2019 as the “Year of Return”. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said during an event at the National press Club last September. “The time is tight for people of African descent to make the journey back, with Ghana leading the way with open arms,” Said Akufo-Addo.

​The attainment rate among the African immigrant community has always been high.

Recent MPI studies indicate 41 percent have bachelor’s degree compared with only 33 percent of Americans.  Over 16 percent have advanced degrees when entering the U.S.

According to Face2Face Africa, 38 percent of African students are undergraduates, while 45 percent are graduates and 42 percent of the graduates are enrolled in doctoral programs.