ULFC International Leadership Experience

By Ryan Ross, Ph.D. & Brittany Winkfield

flex power all over the place. The 2023 group in all our Black Excellence, role-modeled diplomacy spread laughter and leaned into an authorizing environment. We stood out like a sore thumb for all the best reasons, and individuals noticed we were calm during the storm.

Our approach led to new friends and individual attention, and unlike many other impacted travelers, our journey continued.

Travel challenges forged a deep connection throughout this cohort; our travel woes and experiences in the country led to a group of people that will lead, serve, and grow together for years to come.

Experience (ILE) is not designed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but rather a journey home, a healing opportunity, a connection with cultural identity, and an opportunity to see leadership, service, and an authentic village mentality from the perspective of the family we have been disconnected from for far too long.

This 9-day intentionally curated experience:

•Brings fellows face-to-face with the origin story and impact of enslavement on Africans and African/Black Americans.

•Provides an international perspective on business, leadership, local history, politics, and development.

•Provides an opportunity to connect with a tribe through a formal invitation to join and receive an African name through a traditional ceremony.

•Gives a deeper understanding of political challenges and opportunities in Africa

•Dispels dramatized narratives commonly shared in the United States about African countries through physical experiences.

•Promotes psychological safety and healing.

The 2023 Experience

It is often said that the road home is always a journey and something one earns. This thought rang true and was the experience of the 13 individuals who embarked on the 2023 ULFC ILE. Despite two years of planning, flawless leadership execution, relationship-building across the ocean, and childlike eagerness to begin, fate decided that some hazing had to happen.

A singular mechanical issue on an American Airlines jet thrust this year’s group into a cycle of unfortunate events that only grace, patience, leadership, and understanding of the authorizing environment could deliver them from. A trip scheduled to take 20 hours and one transfer took nearly four days, two states, and an unexpected visit to Qatar.

Managing groups is a task alone, but doing it over the holiday weekend with a less-thanresponsive travel agency, an airline providing alternative facts, and travel destinations abroad could have been a nightmare if working with underevolved leaders, but that wasn’t the case. There was yelling, cursing, and people trying to

After an unexpected passport stamp and a fantastic experience in Doha, Qatar (simply amazing), we made it to the Motherland: Accra, Ghana. From the moment we set foot in Accra, the group was greeted by the warm and welcoming nature of the Korleman Community. Ghanaians are known for their hospitality, and the group quickly discovered their eagerness to share their rich cultural heritage with visitors. We were met by prayer, celebration, pouring of libations by Chief Nii Mantse Beetei, and a delegation of the GA tribe.

Although our time had been condensed, the impact was undeniable. Going home to Africa, even in the first two hours of being there, changed the lives of our fellows. The love, amazement, joy, and sense of “this is incredible” in their eyes is a sight no one will forget.

Our leaders were excited but hadn’t seen anything yet. The naming ceremony, which is

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