The Journey Home: Finding Ancestral Roots and Spiritual Rebirth in Sierra Leone

Hope Dealer with José Rico

What happens when we finally listen to the signs that have been guiding us all along? In this breathtaking conversation from the beaches of Sierra Leone, Rico sits down with racial healer and founder of ReKinNectar, L3C, Yvonnie DuBose, who shares her remarkable spiritual journey back to her ancestral homeland.
Growing up in Chicago's Ida B. Wells Projects with an unusually strong connection to spirit, Yvonnie describes how she maintained her spiritual gifts despite society's attempts to dim them. "Children are very connected," she explains. "They all are. But we talk them out of that." For twenty years, she suppressed her spirituality during a marriage to someone who questioned whether her gifts were "God-driven" or possibly "satanic" – until a friend's brutal honesty helped her reclaim her true self.
The universe works in mysterious ways. When Yvonnie found herself resisting an invitation to Sierra Leone, strange signs began appearing – a swarm of dragonflies, a rare red bat in South Shore Chicago, moths that followed her persistently. These spiritual messengers all carried the same message: step beyond your fear into the unknown. The moment she surrendered and said yes to the journey, everything fell into place.
Having discovered through DNA testing her connection to the Mende tribe years earlier, Yvonnie's arrival in Sierra Leone completed a circle. In a moving rebirthing ceremony, village elders named her "Majapo" – mother of children, agriculture, and reconciliation. "I never knew what to call home as a Black woman," she reflects, describing the profound recognition she felt among people whose mannerisms and speech patterns mirrored her family in South Carolina.
This conversation invites us all to consider the signs we might be ignoring and the spiritual connections waiting to be strengthened. As Yvonnie suggests, simple practices like meditation can help us tune back into what we already know: "It's a good way to have your subconscious tell you what you already know, but you don't get a chance to listen to."
Ready to reconnect with your own spiritual gifts? This episode will inspire you to begin that journey today.

F.L.Y. L.I.B.R.E. a guide for healing and liberation can be purchased here: amzn.to/4iCzAAM

Get Dr. McBride's book "Becoming Changemakers" to explore more stories of resilience and community transformation. Connect with the Become Center at becomecenter.org or email [email protected].

Chapters

1. Welcome to Hope Dealer (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Ivani in Sierra Leone (00:03:35)

3. Growing Up in Chicago (00:06:43)

4. Spiritual Connection Since Childhood (00:17:42)

5. Hiding Spirituality in Marriage (00:23:16)

6. Signs Leading to Africa (00:29:04)

7. Rebirth in Sierra Leone (00:38:20)

8. Meditation as a Practice of Hope (00:44:21)

9. Connecting with Ivani's Work (00:50:27)