Hey, this is Sarah Weiman. I'm one of the producers for the Atlas Obscura podcast.

And this month for Black History Month, our staff is taking turns picking episodes from

our back catalog that celebrate and commemorate Black History around the world. I've chosen

an episode that was reported and produced by my colleague, Baudelaire, about his visit

to Blackstar Square in Ghana. I love this episode for a couple of reasons. First of all,

I love Baudelaire's love for his fiance Renee, and it is a delight whenever she shows up

in one of his episodes. And I also think this is a great example of a story that's filled

with so much joy, so much of Baudelaire's genuine enthusiasm for history and for connecting

with that history out in the world. But it's also an episode that will make you feel everything.

It is funny, it is sweet, it is also bittersweet, and heartbreaking, and it is extremely worth

your time to give it a listen. So without further ado, here is Baudelaire and Blackstar Square.

This is the Atlas Obscura podcast. I'm Baudelaire. In 2020, my fiance Renee and I went

to Ghana. 2019, the year before, was dubbed by the Ghanaian government as the Year of Return.

2019 was 400 years after 1619, which as you all know, is when the first African slaves

arrived in America. The year of return was a way to recognize 400 years of resilience

and to invite the African diaspora to return home. For Renee and myself, it was our first

time visiting the African continent. We couldn't make the trip happen in 2019, but we wanted

to be a part of the return, so we went as soon as we could in 2020. We went in February

just a few weeks before the pandemic effectively shut down global travel. We weren't gone

up for 10 days, and the entire visit was incredible. But I'm going to tell you about one day that

is really stayed with me. I visited the home of one of my heroes, had a real moment at the edge

of the continent, and I discovered what is hands down the greatest fruit of all time. And I love

...