Heritage Connection
Connecting African-American youth to the motherland since 1993
“They said it was the Doorway of No Return… but we say they lied, because we have returned.”
The Founder
Dr. Donald Brown
President & Founder of Heritage Connection, Dr. Donald Brown has dedicated his life to bridging the gap between African-American communities and the African continent. From Harlem, New York, he built an organization that has taken hundreds of youth on transformative pilgrimages to Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana — reconnecting them with a heritage separated for over 400 years.
“The mission is to bring African-Americans, particularly African-American youth, to the motherland to gain an African experience — to make a heritage and culture connection with parts of our culture that we’ve been separated from for over 400 years.”
— Dr. Donald Brown, Founder
The Heritage Connection Journey
A visual memoir — decades of connecting our youth to the motherland
Youth Transformation
The program has transformed the lives of countless young people from Harlem and beyond. Students travel to Senegal and the Gambia, visiting historic sites, meeting with dignitaries, and gaining first-hand experience of their African heritage.
“I felt like I became a whole person and was finally able to go back to my roots and find out what Africa is really all about — not what I read in books or saw on TV, but what I saw with my own two eyes.”
Community Impact
Students learn responsibility by raising a third of the necessary funds through fundraising. Their parents pay a third, and corporate sponsors provide matching grants. Heritage Connection holds conferences with students and families long after they return home.
“I’m a little bit closer to my black culture and I’m really proud to be black.”
Study Abroad & Internships
Beyond the pilgrimage, students participate in a five-week study abroad program examining family, religion, education, industry, and government. They become intimate with the ways of the country and its people by working, learning, and living side-by-side with a foreign culture.
A Leader in Cultural Exchange
Heritage Connection has become a leader in cultural exchange programs by setting standards for how a program should be run and maintained before, during, and after the pilgrimage itself — spawning more educated, intelligent, and stronger people well into the 21st century.
The Heritage Connection Story
Hear directly from the youth whose lives were transformed by Heritage Connection
“You have confirmed for me that we’re doing the right thing. We’re going to do it in a way that has a significant impact on the future of this nation, the future of the world, and particularly the future of Africa.”
— Dr. David Du Bois, son of Dr. Shirley & W.E.B. Du Bois
With the Late Dr. Thomas Mensah
A historic moment captured with the late Dr. Thomas Mensah — former NASA scientist, renowned Ghanaian-American inventor and engineer who held over 7 patents in fiber optics and nanotechnology. Dr. Mensah was a champion of African excellence and a beacon of what Heritage Connection represents: the bridge between the African diaspora and the continent.
Building Futures in Ghana
Dr. Brown with Juma Academy children at the Ghana Youth Agriculture Summit
