June 20, Bissau - Balanta descendant Joshua Roberts, a basketball star from the United States who has been playing in the professional basketball league in Portugal, arrives in his homeland for the first time June 20 at 11:40 am at Osvaldo Viera Airport. He is one of over 30 people that has returned under the Decade of Return Initiative launched by Siphiwe Baleka.

Balanta people played a significant role in the global Black liberation struggle in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. While Balanta people formed The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and initiated an eleven-year armed struggle against the Portuguese, in the United States, Balanta people were also in the forefront of the liberation struggle in America. This included Joshua Roberts’ uncle, Stephen Hobbs, who was a founding member of the Black Panther Party in Chicago.

Joshua Roberts’ little sister, Simone, is an accomplished poet who has written about her Balanta ancestry.