The author tells of her experiences in West Africa as a black American studying a society where blacks are the majority. In 1962 the poet, musician, and performer Maya Angelou claimed another piece of her identity by moving to Ghana, joining a community of 'Revolutionist Returnees' inspired by the promise of pan-Africanism. 'All God's children need traveling shoes' is her perceptive exploration of what it means to be an African-American on the mother continent.