We Were Bissa Before We Were Black

For many in the diaspora, Africa was reduced to a mystery. Names were lost, languages were broken, lineages were scattered. But today, through research, DNA, and determination, many are reconnecting. My journey led me to the Bissa people of Burkina Faso. This is not just about ancestry, it is about restoring memory, honoring resilience, and helping build the future.

For generations, many Black Americans have known that our story began in Africa, but few knew exactly where.

Names were changed.

Languages were lost.

Families were separated.

Cultures were interrupted.

What began as a search for roots became something much larger, a rediscovery of history, identity, responsibility, and purpose.

Who Are The Bissa People?

The Bissa are a Mande, speaking people primarily located in southern and southeastern Burkina Faso, with communities extending into Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire.

Today, more than a million people identify as Bissa, preserving traditions that have survived for centuries.

For many in the diaspora, discovering a connection to a people like the Bissa transforms Africa from an abstract concept into a living homeland.

From Bissa to Negro, The Story of Ethnocide

One of the greatest tragedies of the transatlantic slave trade was not only physical bondage.

It was cultural disruption.

A Bissa became "Negro."

A Yoruba became "Negro."

An Akan became "Negro."

Hundreds of nations were compressed into a single racial category.

This process is often described as ethnocide, the destruction or erasure of cultural identity.

Languages disappeared.

Family histories disappeared.

Traditional knowledge disappeared.

Yet our ancestors survived.

Bissa Nation

• Language

• Family Name

• Spiritual System

• Clan Identity

• Homeland

• Culture

Western European aka Transatlantic Slave Trade

• Captivity

• Forced Migration

• Separation of Families

• Language Suppression

• Cultural Disruption

"Negro"

• Generic racial classification

• Loss of ethnic identity

• Loss of original language

• Fragmented family histories

• New identity formed in the Americas

Hundreds of African nations, including Bissa, Akan, Yoruba, Igbo, Mandinka, Wolof, and many others were often grouped into a single racial category in the Americas. This process contributed to the erosion of ethnic identities and cultural memory while laying the foundation for new identities that later emerged throughout the African diaspora.

• Approximately 12.5 million Africans were transported across the Atlantic.

• Approximately 10.7 million survived the Middle Passage and arrived in the Americas.

• Captives came from hundreds of ethnic groups and nations across West and Central Africa.

"We were not born Black. We became Black in America. Before that, we were nations."

Ethnogenesis: The Birth of a New People

The story does not end with loss.

Out of unimaginable hardship emerged something new.

Black Americans developed unique cultural traditions, music, spirituality, language patterns, institutions, and ways of life.

This process is known as ethnogenesis, the formation of a new people.

Understanding our Bissa roots does not diminish our Black American identity.

It strengthens it.

We do not have to choose between who our ancestors were and who we became.

Both truths can exist together.

African Traditional Religion and Spiritual Memory

Traditional Bissa spiritual systems reflected a worldview centered on community, ancestors, responsibility, and harmony with nature.

One of the most fascinating aspects of studying Bissa history is learning about traditional spiritual systems.

Before colonialism and before the widespread adoption of Islam and Christianity, African societies developed sophisticated systems for understanding creation, morality, family responsibility, community harmony, and the relationship between humanity and nature.

For descendants of the diaspora, studying African Traditional Religions (ATR) is not necessarily about religious conversion.

It is about understanding the worldview of our ancestors.

It is about understanding how they saw life, community, responsibility, and the sacred.

To know where we are going, we must understand how our ancestors viewed the world.

Why Reconnection Matters Today

For many Black Americans, reconnecting with Africa is not about tourism.

It is about restoration.

It is about answering questions that history tried to erase.

Who were we?

What did we believe?

What did we build?

What responsibilities do we carry today?

The answers help us move beyond survival and toward purpose.

From Heritage to Nation Building

"The purpose of reconnecting with our roots is not to live in the past. It is to build a future worthy of our ancestors."

— BHGSA

Learning our history should inspire action.

Today, Burkina Faso is pursuing ambitious goals around sovereignty, development, infrastructure, education, and self reliance.

As members of the diaspora, we have an opportunity to contribute knowledge, investment, partnerships, and support.

Honoring the ancestors means more than remembering them.

It means continuing the work.

It means building institutions.

It means strengthening communities.

It means helping create a future worthy of their sacrifices.

Conclusion: Reconnecting With Purpose

My journey back to the Bissa people taught me that genealogy is not simply about discovering where you came from.

It is about discovering what you are called to do.

The past gives us identity.

The present gives us responsibility.

The future gives us purpose.

For those of us in the diaspora, reconnecting with our roots is not the end of the journey, it is the beginning.

As descendants of resilient people who survived displacement, cultural disruption, and centuries of separation, we have an opportunity to do more than remember history.

We have an opportunity to preserve it.

We have an opportunity to build upon it.

And we have an opportunity to strengthen the bridge between Africa and the diaspora for future generations.

The question is no longer where we came from.

The question is what we will build together.

Join the Movement

The Bissa History and Genealogy Society In America exists to preserve Bissa history, strengthen connections between Africa and the diaspora, support cultural education, and contribute to community development initiatives.

By becoming a member, you help:

✓ Preserve Bissa history and genealogy

✓ Support educational and cultural programs

✓ Strengthen diaspora, homeland relationships

✓ Build opportunities for future generations

Become a member today at www.bissa.us

Support the Water Initiative

Access to clean water is one of the most important foundations of community development.

As part of our commitment to honoring our ancestors through action, BHGSA supports initiatives that improve the lives of communities on the ground.

Your contribution to the Water Initiative helps support sustainable access to clean water and community development efforts that create lasting impact.

Every donation, regardless of size, helps move the mission forward.

Support the Water Initiative at www.bissa.us

Reconnect. Preserve. Build.

"A people who know their history can shape their future."

Whether through membership, volunteering, research, cultural preservation, or supporting development projects, there is a place for everyone in this movement.

Join us as we honor our ancestors, reconnect with our heritage, and help build a stronger future for generations to come.

Visit: www.bissa.us

Related Topics: Bissa History, Burkina Faso, African Genealogy, African Diaspora, Pan Africanism, Cultural Preservation, African Traditional Religion, Homeland Development, Water Access, Community Development, BHGSA.