THE ROOTS RECORD ROAD RALLY 2024 of 

THE AFRICAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE

25 MAY TO 9 JUNE 2024

Dakar, Senegal to Freetown, Sierra Leone

(ARRIVALS IN DAKAR, SENEGAL DURING THE WEEK OF 19-24 MAY 2024)

COMMEMORATING THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

"CONNECTING THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE"

-Taking place during the International Decade for People of African Descent 

(UNESCO 2024)

-Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Routes of Enslaved People: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage Project

-Breaking the silence surrounding the history of slavery

Background 

Many critical issues are still faced by the people of Africa and the descendants of slaves in the diaspora and the people of the world. The theme of The Roots Record Road Rally of “Connecting with the past, acknowledging the present and planning for the future,” will provide a forum for honoring the memory of those who suffered through the African Slave Trade, to reconnect the 400 million Africans in the diaspora and all people of the world with the people of Africa, and to explore issues affecting Africa’s future. This annual sporting and cross-cultural event will provide a conduit for more in-depth discovery of the indigenous people of West Africa as well. In addition to visiting the major slave trading posts at Dakar (Goree’), The Gambia (Juffure’), Guinea-Bissau (Cachou), Guinea (Boke’), Conakry (Fotobah), and Freetown, over the course of the 10-day to 2-week journey, the 2024 rally will serve as a forum for the participants to discuss many issues related to African people and people of the world-past, present and future. These include The African Agenda 2063, The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), The ECOWAS Corridor, the issue of Reparations, life of slaves during slavery, colonialism, The Amistad Issue, the slavery abolitionist movement, Post-U.S. Civil War Reconstruction, entrepreneurship and free trade in Africa, key world guiding documents such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the WHO Health in All Policies, and The Sao Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health to name a few. These will all be discussed while getting acquainted with and interacting with the local people along the route.

The Sites for RRRR 2024

Goree’ Island, Dakar, Senegal

Juffure Village, The Gambia

Cachou, Guinea-Bissau

Boke,’ Guinea

Fotobah, Conakry, Guinea

Freetown, Sierra Leone

The Distances for RRRR 2024

Route                           Miles  Kilometers

Dakar-Banjul            170         274

Banjul-Bissau           185         298

Bissau-Boke’              90         305

Boke’-Conakry          155         250

Conakry-Freetown  155         250

Totals                         855        1376

Presents

THE ROOTS RECORD ROAD RALLY of THE AFRICAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE

(The RRRR 2024)

Connecting the past, present and future of Africa

25 May-9 June 2024

Overview of The Roots Record Road Rally 2024 (RRRR2024)

The African Cultural Exchange’s Roots Record Road Rally 2024 (RRRR2024) is a sporting and cross-cultural event designed to commemorate the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and to promote connectivity of the African diaspora and the world with the past, present and future of Africa. The road rally will be an annual 2-week event planned as a group drive, or road rally in several types of vehicles, along the West Coast of Africa to visit the major slave trading sites on the west coast route. The rally will be conducted in four different segments (one segment each year) from Dakar, Senegal to Libreville, Gabon. The RRRR 2024 (Segment A) will take place from 25 May to 9 June 2024 from Dakar, Senegal to Freetown, Sierra Leone. We invite you to join us on this Road Rally down the coast of West Africa to honor the memory of those who suffered through slavery, to connect with the people of Africa along the way, to learn about the issues that have affected Africa and its diaspora and to ponder Africa and its future.

The Roots Record Road Rally, initially conducted in 2008, is a cultural road rally designed to give participants an immersion into the slave memorial sites on the west coast of Africa to experience the cultures of the descendants of the people of West Africa living near those sites, and to highlight some of the past, current and future development issues in Africa.  The rally will highlight the need for peaceful and harmonious coexistence in Africa and will also promote tourism and development in the region.

The Issue and The Organization

The African Cultural Exchange, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization established in 1989, is engaged in cross-cultural, developmental, educational and health care projects throughout Africa. As such it is proposing to conduct this program to commemorate the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as a part of its cross-cultural and developmental activities. The program is sponsored for interested individuals to participate in a rally to help preserve the cultural memory and knowledge of this significant historical event for future generations. The sub-theme of the program is “Connecting the past, present and future of Africa.” 

The Leaders

The Roots Record Road Rally will be led by the executive team of the African Cultural Exchange, including Dr. Reginald Hughes, President of The ACE, Mr. Tamba Johnny, ACE Africa Director and Sierra Leone Country Director and Dr. Torian Easterling, Director of ACE Medical Programs. 

The Goals

The goals of the The Roots Record Road Rally are multiple. In addition to fulfilling the ACE’s mission of providing cross-cultural connections with Africa and the project goal of connecting the past, present and future of Africa, a concurrent aim of the rally is to provide connectivity with the many grassroots organizations working to improve the lives of people in Africa. As an exploration mission, the RRRR draws on the expertise of The African Cultural Exchange in fostering cross-cultural interactions with people all around the continent of Africa. These interactions provide the framework for partnerships that often lead to two-way benefit to participants. The connections are promoted by the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG-17) to “create Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development.” Furthermore, the project will highlight other human development programs in Africa such as The Africa Agenda 2063, The New Urban Agenda, The ECOWAS Regional Integration Corridor, and the WHO Health in all Policies to name a few. The 2024 program will also celebrate The UNs past International Year of Indigenous Languages. We invite all cross-cultural, developmental, educational and health care organizations working in Africa or other interested groups and individuals to join us on this exciting and enlightening road rally.

Expenses and Funding

Participation fees include round trip airfare to Africa, transportation for the rally, daily accommodations, food, and entertainment. Individuals or teams are encouraged to participate. The cost for participation is $3500 per person (without a vehicle) for the 10–14-day program in 2024. To participate with a vehicle the cost will include the cost of the vehicle plus $1500 (plus $2500 for each team member in the vehicle). 

Outcomes Expected

The ACE expects to create a long-term sporting, recreational, and cross-cultural event that will commemorate those who suffered enslavement. Additionally, The ACE aims to connect the people currently living in Africa with Africans in the diaspora as well as all people interested in Africa, its past, present, and future. Finally, we envision a brighter future for African descendants energized by the legacy of their enslaved forebearers. 

Future Years for the RRRR

The program has been designed to take place in four different segments over different years starting with Segment A from Dakar, Senegal to Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2024. Exact dates for futures years will be announced 1 year prior to departure:

Segment A: 2024 and 2025 Dakar, Senegal to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Segment B: 2026 and 2027 Freetown, Sierra Leone to Accra, Ghana

Segment C: 2028 and 2029 Accra, Ghana to Lagos, Nigeria

Segment D: 2030 and 2031 Lagos, Nigeria to Libreville, Gabon

How to Participate

We invite you to join us on RRRR 2024. You may participate as an individual, as a team without a vehicle, or as a team with a vehicle.  Please contact the African Cultural Exchange at www.theafricanculturalexchange.org to register and for more information on participation as (1) an Individual, (2) a Team without a vehicle or (3) a Team with a vehicle. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the African Cultural Exchange for more information. 

Once again, we invite you to join us on this great program of discovery in Africa, honoring the legacy of those who suffered through the slave trade-connecting the past, present and future.

Reginald D. Hughes, MD, MPH, FAAFP

President,

The African Cultural Exchange

ITINERARY FOR THE RRRR 2024

MAY -JUNE 2024

RRRR24 -Mileage

LEG A-DKR   FNA 

Dakar-Banjul 170 

Banjul-Bissau 185 Bissau-Boke’ 190 Boke’-Conakr 155 

Conakry-FNA 155  

SUNDAY 19 MAY- FRIDAY 24 MAY 2024

ARRIVALS  DKR

HOTEL DJARAMA

SATURDAY 25 MAY

GOREE’ ISLAND

YENE TODE

SUNDAY 26 MAY

LV FOR BJL

JUFFURE’

PENYEM

MONDAY 27 MAY

RELAX TOUR BJL

PENYEM

TUESDAY 28 MAY

LV FOR GUI-BIS

CACHOU

CAMP GB

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY 

RELAX GB

CAMP GB

THURSDAY 30 MAY

LV FOR BOKE’   

CAMP BOKE’

FRIDAY 31 MAY

RELAX   BOKE’

-Tour Boke’

CAMP BOKE’

SATURDAY 1 JUNE

LV FOR   CON-GUI

CAMP CONAKRY

SUNDAY 2 JUNE

TOUR FOTOBAH

KWAME TOURE’

CAMP CONAKRY

MONDAY 3 JUNE

RELAX CON-GUI

CAMP CONAKRY

TUESDAY 4 JUNE 

LV FOR FREETOWN

FREETOWN

WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE

CELEBRATION

CONGO CROSS

-Tour Freetown

FREETOWN

THURSDAY 6 JUNE

FAREWELL COMMEMORATIVE DINNER

RRRR 2024

FREETOWN

FRIDAY 7 JUNE

TOUR FNA

LV FOR HOME

FREETOWN

SATURDAY 8 JUNE

LV FOR HOME

FREETOWN

SUNDAY 9-16 JUNE

LV FOR HOME