We had an extra day in Kumasi before traveling back south to Accra, so we altered our path and looped down to the Cape Coast. Even though it wasn’t part of my travel plans, I felt I couldn’t leave Ghana without visiting the infamous castle that links our two histories – the place where African slaves from the Gold Coast region were held before being shipped to the United States and the Caribbean. Nearly all slaves that arrived from Africa to the present-day United States can trace their origin to this castle.
Initially, the Portuguese, Dutch, and finally the British, came to the region to trade for gold and other raw materials and eventually began trading liquor, tobacco, and cotton to local chiefs in exchange for slaves.
This is one of the dungeon cells that housed 200 slaves for three months until they were sent by ship to the Americas. The captives were left in horrendous conditions, up to three feet of their own excrement, and many died while some committed suicide. An endless supply of humans was provided to fill the supply upon their deaths.
This is what a cell looks like on a bright, sunny day without my camera flash.
Ironically, a church was built by the British directly above the dungeons.
Present view of fishermen from the “Door of No Return” where slaves were marched to small boats that would shuttle slaves onto ships away from Africa.
Sankofa is one of my favorite adinkra symbols and one cherished by the Akans. Today I thought of its special meaning as I reflected upon the history of the Cape Coast Castle. The symbol represents respecting the past and traditions and literally means "return and get it," but according to many locals who tried to explain it to me, it is about courageously facing the past for good and evil, pride and regrets. One friend here said, “We remember our mistakes, and we don’t try to hide from them, but we learn. We move forward with our new understandings.”