Monthly Archives: January 2021

Denver, known as the “Mile High City” because of its elevation of 5,280 feet, is the capital of Colorado and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  The Denver Metropolitan area is the 19th most populous metro area in the U.S. and has a population approaching three million people.  The region’s growing and diverse economy—along with its proximity to Rocky Mountain ski resorts—make Denver an attractive destination for people seeking a more active and balanced lifestyle.  Denver has a diverse economy and strong foundation of Fortune 500 companies operating in various industries such as healthcare, financial services, media, apparel, electronics, mining, aerospace, energy, and food and beverage.  The Denver Metropolitan area includes the towns of Arvada, Aurora, Castle Rock, Centennial, Lakewood, Littleton, Thornton, and Westminster.  An estimated 12% of Denver’s population is made up of immigrants and an even higher percentage form the city’s labor force, at 14%.  A few thousand of these immigrants come from Ghana, a country in West Africa with deep historic and cultural ties to the U.S.  Ghanaians in Denver are a tight-knit community and maintain social connections through their various church groups and social organizations sprinkled throughout the city.

Detroit is the largest city in the state of Michigan and the second largest metropolitan area in the Midwest (after Chicago).  Detroit is better known by its nickname “Motor City”, or “Motown”, because of its prominence as the global center of the automotive industry.  Although the city has certainly had its share of ups and downs, Detroit remains an important and influential American city.  Detroit is also a hub of Black American culture and heritage and has several attractions and historical sites such as Second Baptist Church and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.  The Detroit metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, has a population of 4.3 million and is the fourteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Metro Detroit includes the towns of Dearborn, Royal Oak, Auburn Hills, Livonia, Southfield, Rochester Hills, Warren, Pontiac, Sterling Heights, and other municipalities.  There are nearly 40,000 African-born immigrants throughout Metro Detroit, including immigrants from Ghana who are bringing new life and energy to the city.  The state of Michigan has strong ties to Ghana through its academic institutions such as University of Michigan, whose medical school faculty have provided training to Ghanaian doctors. 

The Greater Miami Area is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States and has a population of 6.2 million people.  The metropolitan area is composed of Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.  Its main cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Miami Gardens, Miramar, Homestead, Davie, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and Boca Raton.  This is a diverse community where 40% of the population was born in another country, and it is one of America’s most important cities for international trade.  Miami is a business hub for the Latin American region and is often thought of as the unofficial “Capital of Latin America”.  Although the population of West African immigrants in Miami is small and there are only about 1,000 Ghanaians in South Florida, the area has potential to serve as a center of global trade between Africa and the Americas region on account of its geographic location as the closest US city to West Africa.  As Ghana and other African nations continue to rise both economically and culturally, so will the fortunes of those Americans and Ghanaian-Americans in places like Miami who are working diligently to build-up relations between our two great nations.      

The city of Tampa, located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is one of the three principal cities (the other two being St. Petersburg and Clearwater) that make up the Tampa Bay Area.  The Tampa Bay Area is the 18th-largest metropolis in the United States and has a population of 3.1 million people.  The metro area includes the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, and Manatee, along with the towns of Brandon, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Largo, Tarpon Springs, and Bradenton.  Although not officially part of the Tampa Bay Area, nearby Sarasota is a popular destination for international visitors thanks to the area’s beautiful beaches.  The Ghanaian immigrant population in Tampa is small but it is home to the Ghanaian Association of Tampa Bay, an organization that hosts cultural events and provides services to its community.  The city of Tampa has strong connections to Ghana through University of South Florida (USF), which not only has international students from Ghana, but also sends American students to Ghana for various study abroad programs and research assignments through its partnerships with the University of Ghana and Cape Coast University.  The University of Tampa also has study abroad programs in Ghana and professors with knowledge of the region.   

Charlotte is the 23rd-most populous city in the United States and is the most populous city in the state of North Carolina.  Known as the Queen City, this metropolis of 2.6 million people has been one of the country’s fastest-growing cities the past two decades.  Charlotte’s youthful population, low cost of living, and geographical location in America’s Sun Belt, have made it an attractive destination for business investment.  The Charlotte metropolitan area is a sixteen-county region that stretches into the state of South Carolina and includes the towns of Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Mooresville, Monroe, Salisbury, Matthews, Cornelius, Mint Hill, Statesville, Shelby, Rock Hill (SC), and Fort Mill (SC).  Charlotte and the state of North Carolina have strong connections to Ghana thanks to the dozens of churches in the area offering mission trips to the country.  There are also several nonprofit organizations providing education and healthcare services in Ghana and over a half dozen schools offering Ghana study abroad programs such as North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina Asheville, Wake Forest, Duke, Davidson, Elon University, and others.  The city of Charlotte has a sister city agreement with Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana.      

Atlanta has a population of over 6 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is also the commercial capital of the Southeast United States and has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Tucker, Lithonia, Decatur, Mableton, Clarkston, Conyers, and others.  Atlanta has become an extremely diverse and international city.  The Atlanta metropolitan area has nearly 85,000 immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and has one of the largest populations of West Africans in the country, including many immigrants from Ghana.  The Ghanaian community in Atlanta is represented by several nonprofit organizations such as the Ghana Council of Georgia and others representing various ethnic groups and professional networks.  People in Atlanta are forging strong ties with Ghanaians as an increasing number of tourists travel to Ghana to celebrate events such as “Year of Return” and participate in the "Beyond the Return" campaign.     

Portland is the most populous city in the state of Oregon and the second-most populous city in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle.  The Portland metropolitan area has a population of 2.5 million people and is the 25th most populous metropolis in the United States.  The city is located on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, which meet on the northern end of the Willamette Valley.  The valley stretches for 150 miles between forested mountains containing rich farmland and scenic views.  Over 250 agricultural items are produced here, including award winning wines like pinot noir and hops used in the production of craft beer.  Portland may seem totally different from West Africa, but Sierra Leoneans that come here will feel at home thanks to Oregon’s lush green forests and trees that are not dissimilar from Sierra Leone's Gola Rainforest.  Although the population of Sierra Leone immigrants in Portland is small, there are still over 10,000 Africans in the area; some came here as college students in the 1970s, and then as refugees in subsequent decades to escape conflicts in their home countries.  Portland is home to several nonprofit organizations that provide medical and education services to the people of Sierra Leone.

San Diego is America’s 17th-most populous city and is the third-most populous urban area in the state of California.  This metropolis of 3.3 million residents shares a 15-mile border with Mexico, where just to the other side sits Tijuana—Mexico’s sixth-most populous city.  About 200,000 people cross the border each day, making this one of the busiest land borders in the world.  San Diego is well known for its mild Mediterranean climate that attracts over 35 million visitors each year.  This is a beach city that has nearly year-round perfect weather, plenty of scenic vistas, and miles of spectacular beaches including La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Coronado Beach, and Imperial Beach.  The San Diego metropolitan area includes cities such as Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, Vista, and Encinitas.  Having over 10,000 nonprofit organizations and several large foundations—some of whom have donated their time and resources to the people of Sierra Leone—San Diego is also considered one of the most charitable cities in the United States.  San Diego has a small population of West African immigrants and an even smaller number of immigrants from Sierra Leone, but nevertheless, there are Sierra Leoneans in this city.   

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and is the largest city in the Mountain Time Zone.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area has a population of 4.8 million—the tenth largest metropolitan area in the United States—and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  New residents and businesses come here for the low cost of living and year-round warm weather.  Phoenix gets more sunshine than any other major city on the planet.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area, also known as the Valley, includes the cities of Casa Grande, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Maricopa, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe.  The Valley has a strong base of semiconductor, electronics, and aerospace manufacturers.  Real estate, construction, healthcare, financial services, and tourism are also major components of the Phoenix economy, which has over 200 golf courses, 500 hotels, and 40 resorts.  Phoenix has a small population of West African immigrants and an even smaller number of immigrants from Sierra Leone, but nevertheless, there are Sierra Leoneans in Arizona.  Many of these immigrants came nearly two decades ago during the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War. 

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and located in the Mojave Desert, bordering California and Arizona.  The Las Vegas metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been America’s fastest growing city the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks only as the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting the city on any given day.  Las Vegas is known as “America’s Playground” and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting over 42 million visitors a year.  The city also hosts over 20,000 annual conventions, meetings, and trade shows each year including JCK Las Vegas, which is one of the largest jewelry events in the world and has diamond exhibitors whose product is mined in Sierra Leone.  The popularity of Las Vegas as a tourist destination has also turned the area into a magnet for immigrants due to the abundance of service and construction jobs, however, the Sierra Leone immigrant population is small—just a handful of refugees settled here after Sierra Leone’s civil war.