“I didn’t feel Black when I stepped foot in Ghana,” she reflects. “I was just… me. I didn’t have to carry the weight of being Black in America. I was just a person.” -Michele Mazelle
For Michele Mazelle , storytelling is more than a hobby – it’s a tool for connection.
The middle school educator and YouTube creator uses her channel to bridge cultural understanding between African Americans and the African continent, offering a deeply personal perspective grounded in lived experience, reflection, and purpose.
Her YouTube channel, titled Michele Mazell – which incorporates her middle name and variations of her mother and grandmother’s names – has reach and impact that extend far beyond family ties. What began as a fashion-focused platform took a pivotal turn after a vlog documenting her trip to Ghana resonated with thousands of viewers.
While she hails from Tennessee, her husband’s family is from a village called Nkonya-Wurupong.
“I started off doing fashion,” she said, “but it segued into what I’m doing now after I vlogged about going to Ghana. That video did really well, and I realized there was real interest in showing the positivity of the African continent.”
Mazelle’s connection to Ghana is both familial and spiritual. Her first visit in 2003 came after the passing of her father-in-law. Since then, she’s returned several times – whether for medical missions, a funeral, cultural festivals, or simply leisure.
“Most of the times I’ve gone, it’s been for a purpose,” she explains. “But a couple of years ago, I got to go just to enjoy the country. That was the first time I really saw Ghana – eating at restaurants, visiting cultural landmarks like the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum, and exploring areas of Accra we usually don’t get to see.”
Mazelle’s YouTube channel began to take shape around a powerful observation: There is a gap in how African Americans and Africans understand each other–and themselves.
“There’s a lot of content about Black culture,” she said, “but it’s often from a Westernized perspective. What’s missing is the viewpoint of the African continent – and how they see us.”
Her marriage to a Ghanaian man and years of interaction with his family gave her firsthand insight into the cultural nuances and historical misunderstandings between Black Americans and Africans.
As we discussed what’s often referred to as the “diaspora wars” on various social media platforms, what emerged was the complexity of Black identity – like a Rubik’s Cube, outwardly unified by shared aesthetics, yet internally shaped by distinct histories, environments and cultural influences.
Tensions often arise in how Black people from different parts of the world perceive one another, and much of this can be traced back to media-driven propaganda. From reductive portrayals of Africa as a continent of famine and poverty to persistent stereotypes of African Americans as lazy or violent, both communities have been fed incomplete – and often damaging – narratives.
“When we come together, there’s tension because both sides have been misinformed,” Mazelle said.
Broaching this subject is inherently controversial and comes with no shortage of challenges. When confronting harmful rhetoric and misinformation rooted in stereotypes, questions of loyalty and belonging inevitably arise – especially for Mazelle. She is no stranger to backlash from those who question where her allegiance lies.
“It turns into, ‘You’re not supporting Black power,’ or ‘You’re not for us,’” she explained. “But really, I’m correcting harmful narratives – just like I would if someone outside our community said something that wasn’t true.”
Her message is grounded in humility and compassion. She urges her followers – especially African Americans – to remain open and curious.
“If we want people to understand our struggle, we have to be willing to understand theirs,” she said. “Just because one person from a country mistreated you doesn’t mean you can dismiss the whole continent. We don’t want to be judged as a monolith – so we shouldn’t do that to others.”
Walking the difficult but necessary line of accountability, Mazelle aims to foster honest dialogue within the Black diaspora – starting with self-reflection. She cautions against falling into the trap of self-hatred and anti-Blackness – mindsets that persist as remnants of colonization and systemic disenfranchisement.
True growth and healing, she believes, begin when we acknowledge both our individual and collective roles in shaping how we see and treat one another. Reaching that point requires a shift in focus – one that fosters deeper connection while honoring our shared experiences and distinct identities.
Her hope is that more Black Americans travel, engage with African culture beyond tourism, and embrace the full spectrum of global Blackness.
She explains that while racial identity in the U.S. may feel familiar, understanding Black identity and race on a global scale is an entirely different conversation. As such, Mazelle’s channel isn’t just travel vlogs or cultural commentary – it’s a lived invitation. An invitation for diasporic healing, for honest dialogue, and for mutual respect.
“I’ve seen that the more I allow myself to be in the cultural space of Ghana – not just visiting but living in it – the more I’m accepted. That’s what I try to show in my videos.”
Her long-term vision includes creating a physical space in Ghana where members of the African diaspora can feel welcomed, guided, and grounded.
“There’s a missing piece,” she said. “People come to Ghana looking for home, but they don’t always know where to start. I want to be that bridge – to help people navigate, acclimate, and really experience what Ghana has to offer.”
As someone deeply immersed in both African American and Ghanaian life, Mazelle offers a rare perspective. She’s not a tourist. She’s family.
The work is personal – and powerful. From emotional visits to slave dungeons in Cape Coast to hearing “Welcome home” each time she lands at Kotoka International Airport, Mazelle understands that cultural reconnection is both spiritual and ancestral.
“I might not be Ghanaian by birth,” she said, “but when I’m there, I feel like I belong.”
Find Mazelle online at youtube.com/@MicheleMazelle