Founder& President
Ada Anagho Brown, a native of Cameroon, launched Roots to Glory Tours in 2012 with the dream of reuniting African families and returning Africans in the Diaspora to the continent.
As the third child of the current Chief of Ngwo of the Njikwa subdivision in Northwest Cameroon, Brown moved to the United States in 1975 when her father was on a diplomatic assignment. With her deep African roots and the strong African values and beliefs passed down to her from her childhood, Brown has facilitated the return of hundreds of African descendants as they traveled to the homeland of their ancestors.
Among her many accomplishments, Brown coordinated the Cultural Village at the African American Festival in 2016 – the largest festival on the East Coast with more than 300,000 attendees. Brown was also the lead organizer for the Panafest USA cultural festival, an annual event in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. She served as a board member of the Bunce Island Coalition USA, whose mission is to preserve the Bunce Island Slave Fort in Sierra Leone. Additionally, she was a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African Art and the Montgomery County African Affairs Advisory Group.
Both Diasporan and traditional leaders often find Brown’s Roots to Glory Tours by word of mouth, which is a testament to her dedication to facilitating African-American and African unity and dialogue. Programs and excursions offered by Roots to Glory Tours provide Diasporan brothers and sisters first-hand experience with Africa’s music, food, and rich history. Brown simplifies the travel process by arranging personalized tours with authentic experiences of local hospitality, the result of Brown’s long-standing working relationship with Africa’s traditional leaders.
Another way that Brown is fulfilling her dream of reunification is through the African Royal DNA Project, a global network based in the U.S. Using DNA testing, the goal of the project is to re-connect Africans in the Diaspora, whose ancestors were forcefully removed from the Continent to their families and rightful homes. Through her work with local communities, non-profits and Roots to Glory, Brown promotes the understanding of and unity between Africa’s peoples, culture, and traditions, while also encouraging conversation, insight and cultural exchange between Africans in the Diaspora and their continental counterparts.