The Obamas Visit Cape Coast Slave Castle

11 Jul 2009 Author: rikyrah

US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Sasha and Malia stand at the entrance of the ‘Door of No Return’ during a guided tour in Cape Coast Castle, a former slavery outpost, in Cape Coast, Ghana, on July 11, 2009.
The visit marks Obama’s first to subsaharan Africa as President.
——-AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB

A view of a slave fortress in Cape Coast, Ghana in 1996. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were forced through its dungeons and loaded onto slave ships anchored along the Atlantic coastline.

GHANA-US-OBAMA-CAPE-COAST
US President Barack Obama speaks after touring Cape Coast Castle, in Cape Coast, Ghana, on July 11, 2009. Obama and his family made a “moving” visit to a former slave trading fort in Ghana during a landmark visit to the west African country. The Obamas went on a guided tour of Cape Coast Castle, formerly one of the continent’s main outposts from where countless slaves were shipped trans-Atlantic to the Americas. Obama, the son of an African immigrant, and his wife Michelle, a descendant of African slaves, were accompanied on the tour by their daughters Malia and Sasha.
——————————AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB

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U.S. President Barack Obama leads his family from the slave holding cells inside Cape Coast Castle, a former slave holding facility, in the Ghanaian town of Cape Coast, July 11, 2009.
———–REUTERS/Jason Reed

At Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, retracing slavery’s steps

Tags: Africa, Cape Coast Castle, Ghana, Overseas Trip, The First Family

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Myth

I feel this trip to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana is the most important and significant trip that the Obama's could ever have taken. He is so diplomatic in explaining why he went to this space in the interview with Anderson Cooper that airs on Monday night. PBO realizes that to know where you are going you have to know where you came from. And to teach his children is SO,SO impressive. That Michelle factor is his life is so important.The Obama's are unashamedly proud of the things they do and they things their children are exposed to. They are so impressive and it has been educational for us all.

MoObama

It is so painful dealing with the MSM when it comes to stories of interest concerning Black people, (unless they deal with crime). I scanned through the news channels Sunday to hear the president's speech in Ghana, I didn't hear a thing. I heard sound bites of the speech he made at the G8 and in Russia but not Ghana. Why didn't his Ghana trip get the same attention as the Russian, Cairo, France, and British trips? Did I miss tha main event, or did the media let me down again?

Bryan Schell

I don't think that even President Obama's words can really portray the sheer emotion that being in a slave dungeon brings. For those of you interested in seeing what the president saw, check out the below documentary about the Ghana Slave Dungeon:

http://explore.org/explore/africa/films/68

Eccentric1

In the first picture, it looks as though the sign over the through way says "- Door Of Return -". I would have thought it would be labeled "- Door Of No Return -". What does this mean? I can't imagine that this is improperly labeled, considering the heavy historical gravity this through way carries. Any one know why this label reads this way?

isonprize

It is a bit confusing. The "Door of No Return" is the opening thru which countless Africans travelled thru on their way to parts unknown.

The Cape Coast Castle created a "Door of Return" for all Africans who return to the Motherland -- to symbolically pass back thru the door to the Motherland.

This explanation is in some of the articles about Cape Coast Castle.

womanistmusings

I know that this is one place that I can never visit. Just looking at pictures causes my throat to tighten with horror. To stand at the door firm in the knowledge that an ancestor of mine was about to go through inhumane torture that would lead to the enslavement of my family for generations is more than I can bear. They even chained the babies.

isonprize

I thought the same thing when I went to Senegal and Goree Island. But in the strangest way, it gave me a strength, confidence, a resolve that I keep with me to this day.

It's the knowing, the true knowing of what our ancestors have been thru. But again, I say in the oddest way, it made me a stronger woman, a stronger parent.

And yes, they chained the babies... That's when I cried, when I saw the little baby chains.

Myth

Did you see pictures of babies in chains while you were there or did you find the pictures on the internet? How difficult to even imagine for a mother to not be able to reach her baby when needed. Totally unable to fathom.

isonprize

Seeing the miniature shackles was enough for me.

WordSmith

And yes, they chained the babies... That's when I cried, when I saw the little baby chains.

I almost burst into tears when reading. What a heathen, despicable people to do that to anyone let alone babies and children. You know they were without souls.

isonprize

Some, SOME, of them are still without souls. The very reason I didn't bother to read the 'Freeper' link re: the Malia comments.

I didn't need to read it, I know those hateful kind, and I don't need to waste a moment's time on them.

WordSmith

I was talking to my sister awhile ago. Malia is her 'favorite' - and I was telling her a bit about. She was just disgusted because her son (my nephew) is about the same age; he's 12. I mean, we do not get it. I'm sorry I read them but yet, it gives an inkling of what is out there.

Even Palin's kids I don't get into about it. Kids are off limits. Of course that "baby out of wedlock" versus I meant to practice "abstinence is the best policy" bullshit was a bit much. But the younger two, regardless of whether they are Palin's, the Obama's, the Sanford's - it's not kosher.

joannaoregon

Yea, verily... & the gender/race of just who was doing the trading/buying is never spoken... they are quite invisible but the fruits of their deeds & life style are not & continuing on to this moment... Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc.

kayos

there're slave ports on the east african coast all way down to angola,Bush did visit goree island another stop for the slave ships off senegal,everything profitable wz taken form the continent to this day.the world economy wz built on african cheap labour now its china with better conditions though

WordSmith

That's what I was thinking, too. Architecturally, it's a very pleasing building.

The Door of No Return - that still tightens my throat.

rikyrah

EVENING OPEN THREAD IS UP!!

Muzikal203

So sad that such a beautiful place (on the outside) was used for such a nefarious purpose.

Re: that last pic, it's kind of funny how the silhouette of Obama's head is as familiar and easy to identify as the bat signal. LOL

Miranda

Did you say the "bat signal"?? LOLOL....its funny...cuz its true.

Muzikal203

You can't say you'd see this picture with no other info and not know exatly who's head (and ears, LOL) that is. . .

spirit_55z

If a picture paints a thousand words.......

jelana

The looks on their faces says it all.

Miranda

So moving

"Lost her children to the sea....goodbye motherland"

http://www.imeem.com/artists/quincy_jones/music...

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