THE SLAVE TRADE

I came to West Africa, capital of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, because I wanted to see the loading docks and holding pens from which the slaves were shipped across the world.  Ghana and Senegal, (my last stop on this leg of the trip), were the epicenters of man’s brutal and sadistic business of the day.     We visited two of the most sinister and cruel of these pens – Gold Coast and Elmina Castles on Ghana’s coast.   Variously controlled by the Swedes, Portuguese, Dutch and British, the castles were first built as forts and were later converted to holding cells for natives captured throughout Africa by the Europeans and their (black) Ashanti partners, who came to the area from northern Ghana in the 11^th century and who once comprised a mighty empire. 

The Arabs ruled the Trans-Sahara route, transporting slaves east from Zanzibar to Arabia and India and points beyond.  The Europeans oversaw shipments in the other direction.   It is estimated that a total of 60 million Africans  were captured throughout the 300+ years of slavery’s official existence, but that only 20 million, one-third, survived the forced marches from villages across the continent, the barbaric conditions of the holding pens and the treacherous Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Saharan journey.   Its difficult to understand the business decision of men (and they were all men) who imprisoned their merchandise in dark, dank, airless spaces, shackled and chained, sitting hunched in their own excrement, unable to move, waiting for ships, which arrived once every 3 months.  “Troublemakers” were put in dungeons until death, without food, water, light or air.  The female slaves were regularly raped (of course) and thrown overboard if pregnant in transport.  Those captives who survived incarceration eventually passed through the “Door of No Return” as they left their pens and boarded ships that took them to new indignities throughout the Americas.

The guide at the Gold Coast Castle brought us into a room known as the “Dungeon of Death,” complete with skull and bones over the door, put there by the Portuguese in the 16^th century.     Built as a deterrent, it housed those who had tried to escape or otherwise misbehaved.  The only way out was death.  Without warning, the guide locked the door behind us.   Suddenly and without warning we were imprisoned without light or air, in stifling heat and darkness.   The only reason we didn’t panic was that we knew we would be released within seconds.  The former captives who left their shackle marks etched on the stone walls knew they would die a long, painful death, alone.   The 90- degree outside temperature was a cool relief when we finally left the cell.

The Obama’s had been to the Castle in 2009 and laid a wreath which is still in the same spot.  Ghanians are very proud to tell you that Michelle Obama comes from Ghanian roots.

To lift our spirits, we left the castles and visited a local school where we painted a badly worn classroom.   Since it was a Sunday, the kids were unfortunately not there.   But the schoolmaster, a teacher, and just a few students, got us started with the paint brushes and paint and within a few hours the classroom was much brighter and cheerier.   Linda’s pencils and stickers were a big hit and the schoolmaster promised to give them as prizes to the best students.  He expected grades to rise for all students immediately!