Washington, DC — Jay Cameron, author, playwright, and philanthropist, has been granted Sierra Leonean dual citizenship after tracing his ancestry to the Temne tribe. Bridging the gap between the African diaspora and Africa has become Jay’s main goal since 2018. Now, in 2021 he’s celebrating his new Sierra Leonean dual citizenship with more projects that will encourage people of African descent to discover this continent on their own terms.
The Journey to Citizenship
After a heritage trip to Ghana in 2018, Jay realized most of what he’d been taught about Africa wasn’t true. Years of schooling and living as an African American in the US did not adequately educate him about the real Africa, the many cultures, and its people. He set on a journey to change that narrative for himself and others, and his newly regained citizenship is only the next step.
Prior to his Ghana trip in 2018, Jay started exploring his African roots, using an AfricanAncestry.com DNA kit as the first step. In late 2018, he was genetically linked directly to the Temne tribe in Sierra Leone. This was the beginning of reclaiming that part of his identity.
AfricanAncestry.com is a world-renowned genetic testing company with the largest African DNA database available to the public and has partnered with the government of Sierra Leone to help people of African descent reclaim a part of their heritage by offering citizenship. This spring, Jay was granted dual citizenship alongside more than 60 new Sierra Leoneans.
What’s next?
As a Sierra Leonean, Jay intends to continue bringing together the African diaspora and Africa, showing the world the unknown sides of this continent and its beautiful people. Until now, Jay has been leading Africa destination tours to take vacation-goers on trips of self-discovery, heritage, and beautiful memories. He has visited eight African countries and climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa’s tallest mountain and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world). He has also created a children’s book series featuring siblings, Darren and Destiny, as they explore African diaspora destinations. Now, his ventures will expand with a particular focus on encouraging anyone (from any ethnicity) who has an interest in African history as well as African Americans of all ages to reconnect with their ancestral roots.
To do this, Jay plans on expanding his African diaspora tours, introducing more adventures of Darren and Destiny with new books, an animated series, and a live stage show for the whole family. He’s also currently preparing for the launch of Maximum Impact Success Online Academy, to encourage learning about Africa before, during, and after European slavery, focusing also on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills often overlooked in many communities.
Learn more about Jay Cameron at JayCameron.com
Follow him on social media:
Facebook – @jaycameronofficial
Instagram – @jaycameronofficial
Twitter – @jaycameron1
For press inquiries, contact Rose Smith at 800-894-2660 or maximumimpactsuccess@gmail.com