My DNA ancestry traces my maternal side to Akan people of Ghana - Prime Minister of Grenada
The Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Amiss Thomas Mitchell, has revealed that a recent DNA ancestry test done by him traced his maternal lineage to the Akan people of Ghana.
Speaking during a state visit to Ghana on Friday, the Grenadian leader said the discovery of his Ghanaian roots underscores the shared heritage between the people of Ghana and the Grenada.
“I revealed my DNA ancestry tracing on my maternal side, and it was traced to the Akan people of Ghana,” Prime Minister Mitchell said. “The welcome I’ve received here feels like a true homecoming.”
He added that the connection was not only emotional but symbolic of the historic ties between Africa and the Caribbean, noting that about 75 percent of Grenada’s population can trace its ancestry to Ghana.
“The deliberate use of the ocean as a bridge should reconnect us in a meaningful way — politically, socially, culturally, and economically,” he emphasized.
Mr. Mitchell also highlighted the importance of deepening trade relations between Ghana and Grenada, saying both nations can transform the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade into opportunities for progressive and inclusive economic growth.
During a meeting with President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House, Prime Minister Mitchell invited President Mahama to pay an official visit to Grenada, proposing August 1, a date observed as Emancipation Day in the British Caribbean, to commemorate the abolition of slavery.
“That day marks the beginning of our nationhood because we cannot have a nation where one human being owns another,” he said. “Your presence in Grenada on that day would be a powerful reminder of our shared struggle and unity as Africans everywhere.”
President Mahama, for his part, expressed appreciation for the Grenadian leader’s gesture and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic, cultural, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
The visit marks Prime Minister Mitchell’s first official trip to Ghana and forms part of efforts to bolster Ghana–Caribbean relations through political consultation, education, trade, and visa-free travel agreements.
