LOS ANGELES, California — Actor and martial artist Michael Jai White says discovering his Ghanaian ancestry changed the way he understands his identity, describing the experience as one that made him feel “liberated” and connected him to a deeper history.
White shared the reflection during an appearance on the One54 Podcast, in an episode published on November 11, 2026, titled Michael Jai White Part 1: Ghana Roots, Becoming Royalty, African Martial Arts & Bruce Lee.
In a clip shared by One54 Africa, White reflected on the assumptions he had carried about his family history before learning more about his ancestral connection to Ghana.
“I was thinking my beginnings were here in this country. And to know that it’s not, I think frees you and links you to something deeper.”
Michael Jai White, via One54 Africa
The actor’s comments point to the emotional significance of tracing family origins beyond the United States. For many descendants of enslaved Africans, generations of forced displacement and incomplete family records have made it difficult to identify specific ancestral communities. White’s account illustrates how research, travel and cultural encounters can create a more personal connection with that history.
Ghana Visit And A Traditional Royal Honour
White’s connection with Ghana became widely known following his visit during the Full Circle Festival in late 2018 and the country’s Year of Return period in 2019. On January 2, 2019, he was enstooled in the Akwamu Traditional Area and received the stool name Nana Akoto III, also reported as Odupong.
Prime News Ghana reported that the ceremony took place at Akwamu and that White received the traditional title during the festival. VladTV also reported that White publicly described the honour as a meaningful connection to the Akwamu people and his West African ancestry.
At the time, White said that ancestry testing had pointed him and his wife, Gillian White, towards West African roots, particularly Ghana. The reports of his enstoolment and his own public comments helped bring his family-history journey to wider attention.
In a later interview with Film Combat Syndicate, White spoke about the responsibility attached to the title, saying he viewed leadership as service to the people rather than simply the prestige of holding a royal position.
More Than A Celebrity Homecoming
Ghana’s Year of Return campaign encouraged members of the African diaspora to visit the country, explore their heritage and engage with its history and culture. The initiative drew international attention to sites connected to the transatlantic slave trade, as well as Ghana’s contemporary arts, tourism and cultural life.
White’s latest comments add a personal dimension to that wider conversation. Rather than presenting ancestry as a simple result on a DNA report, he describes the discovery as something that changed his sense of where his story began and how he relates to a wider African history.
His experience also highlights the distinction between genetic ancestry and cultural identity. DNA testing can offer clues about geographic origins, but it does not by itself establish a person’s complete family history, ethnic identity or relationship to a particular community. Those connections can involve historical records, family accounts, local traditions and the relationships built through meaningful engagement.
White is widely recognised for action and martial arts roles in films including Spawn and Black Dynamite. The One54 conversation also explores his career in Hollywood, his martial arts training and the history and philosophy of African martial arts.
The full conversation is available through the One54 Podcast episode on Apple Podcasts.