"May those who return find their roots...."

February 6, 2011

Today we finally reached Ghana! It’s amazing to me that I’ve been able to travel to Africa, by boat a mere 400 years following the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade where my ancestors were enslaved to the United States. For that reason, this trip will for sure have a deeper meaning for me when compared to my counterparts, but it will be one that I’ll never forget. Once our ship docked, my friends and I looked outside to observe the Ghanaian culture in the Takoradi port. Just about 30 feet away, I could hear and see a few men playing drums while the others danced alongside them.

After a hearty breakfast, I stepped off of the ship for the first time in 9 days and boarded a “luxury” coach for my first field directed practica (FDP). Our trip entitled “Castles and Slave Dungeon Tour” featured a tour of both the Cape Coast and El Mina slave castles. If you don’t know the history of either, I suggest that you research them, but they are two of the more well known locations where slaves were taken to be shipped off to the Americas, after being captured in Western Africa during the 1600s.

Once we pulled up to the first castle (Cape Coast), my demeanor and mood changed completely. I began to think about all of the African men, women and children that were sold, raped and killed right in the very site where I was standing. Our tour guide began the tour on the side where the male slaves where kept, with a sign hanging slightly above the entranceway that read “ male slave dungeon”.  To the right of the door was a passage engraved:

 IN EVERLASTING MEMORY
of the anguish of our ancestors
may those who died rest in peace
may those who return find their roots
may humanity never again perpetrate
such injustice against humanity
we the living vow to uphold this

To the left of the door was a plaque that was unveiled by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on July 11, 2009. Both of these things were firstly identified by our tour guide and then individually observed by myself and the rest of the group. I found myself zoning out, away from what the tour guide was saying while standing outside of the doorway as I went into deep thought about the slave trade and treatment of them. I began to think that if I were alive during the 1600s, I’d be the one being beat, while shackled to 2 men (one in front and the other behind) in this same dungeon (about 20 x 30 x 60 ft) with 149 other men. In this same dungeon ¼ of them would be sick, dead and/or dying, with our feces piled alongside the border of the dungeons floor some 2 ½ feet high. During this same moment, I’d be watching my family and friends torn apart, being shipped away to different places, raped and killed. I’d also have to be sure not to “step out of line” or else I’d be thrown in a cell with no ventilation, left to suffer and die with other slaves that had been disobedient.

As the tour continued, we were able to enter both the male and female slave dungeons of Cape Coast. We were shown the wells outside of the dungeon where water was stored for the slaves, as they passed to make their way to the ships to be carried to the Americas. About 8 feet in front of the wells were stairs that led to a platform, overlooking the coast, where canons were stationed and used if there was a threat coming from the coast. Next, we headed towards the “door of no return”, located just adjacent to the female slave dungeon. This was the door where all slaves were taken through to be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. As the tour came to an end, we were able to walk through a museum located on site of the castle, which gave a historical overview of the origin and development of the Cape Coast castle.

After a mentally exhausting tour, our group of 39 headed to a beach resort to have lunch. On the menu was none other than local Ghanaian cuisine, which was pretty good. Shortly after, we continued our tour to the next castle, El Mina. This castle had a similar infrastructure to Cape Coast’s being that there were both male and female slave dungeons, but was a much larger facility. At El Mina some 750 slaves were kept at one time, in small spaces. All of the dungeons were underneath the bedroom and kitchen area of the slavemasters, which consisted of breathtaking views of the beach on one end and the gruesome courtyard in the center of dungeons where slaves once were stored.

While riding back to Takoradi from the El Mina Castle, I pondered to myself about what I had just encountered. Once I made it back to the ship, I shared my experience with my roommate and another friend. I was able to document my experience with photographs and video, which I am excited to share with my friends and family back at home. I believe that these sites are extremely important for people to see, especially if you share any lineage from Africa. This tour has caused me to reinforce my aspirations towards success, not only for myself but for my ancestors that never received an opportunity to do so. Unfortunately the rollover-effect, which derived from slavery, has and still affects blacks in the United States today. Though progress has been made, a full recovery may take a century or two, if at all.