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Welcome to the inquiry with me, Tanya Beckett, from the BBC World Service.
One question, four expert witnesses and an answer.
If your ancestors had been sold into slavery,
how would you feel about reconnecting with the place where they had left two centuries before?
In July of this year,
American singers Lauren Hill and Sierra were made nationals of the West African country, Benin.
I feel incredibly proud to be here with you all.
I feel incredibly proud to also be a part of the importance of this moment and what it means.
The significance of this moment is so, so special.
Also, filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee,
became Benin's ambassadors for African Americans in the United States.
For me and for Spike,
it's about letting people know that Benin is making space for us to have a place on the continent.
A new Benin government law offers nationality to descendants of people who were taken from their homeland as part of the transatlantic slave trade.
The new ruling is named My Afro Origins and acknowledges Benin's role as a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade,
in particular through the port of Wida.
Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Benin, a majestic arch marks the point of no return,
where through the centuries millions of slaves waited in chains to be shipped to America.
Other nations in the region that are offering citizenship for descendants of enslaved people include Ghana,