Return to our roots: Slave Castle Visits

Monday took us away from Accra along the coast to Elmina and Cape Coast. This day was one of deep emotion as we toured two of the slave castles. History books can never adequately tell the story of what it was like for the millions of enslaved Africans who were ‘stored’ in the dungeons of Cape Coast Castle and St. George’s Castle. And though our circumstances were drastically different than our ancestors, we do get something of an idea. As the seven or eight of us stood in those small, hot rooms it was easy to imagine the pain of the hundreds who were forced to spend upwards of two months in unsanitary conditions. At the Door of No Return we exited into a bustling fishing village. Rev. Monika Intsiful, wife of Paramount Chief, Nana Ewusi and member of our home church, joined us for prayer and thanksgiving. For African Americans, returning through the Door of (No) Return is a powerful way of telling the world that what the enemy meant for harm God used for good. The millions of Africans who left the shores bound in chains may never have seen their homeland again. However, as their ancestors, we return to the motherland in their places. We return in their honor. We acknowledge their pain but we also acknowledge the strength that made it possible for them to survive atrocities.

Door of No Return

Change My Name

The wonderful people of Abeadze welcomed our group on Tuesday. This is the town of Nana Ewusi and Rev. Monika. Because Nana had to be in the Volta Region representing the Eastern region with the Council of Elders, he instructed an under Chief to attend to us. This was a very formal day for us. As soon as we disembarked, we were greeted by young dancers and drummers who escorted us to the meeting place.

Afterwards, we went to the palace for our official greeting by the chief. It was quite an experience for our group to see how Kofi acted as our linguist. Custom dictates that we be welcomed by the Chief and offered a drink. Afterwards, we had to explain our mission. Once the formalities we out of the way, we went back to the gathering area where we had a short drumming and dancing lesson. Our supervising chief is a good dancer so he explained the hand movements and then asked us to demonstrate that we had learned the lessons. They seemed to really enjoy our awkward moves. We were guided to a very important shrine in the town and given a history lesson. This area has a very important history that Rev. Monika fears will be lost. We were on our way to

the slave path near the river when the storm blew in. We dashed to someone’s home where we waited for the big rains to pass. Afterwards, the naming ceremony occurred. This was the most special part of the day. Each of us was inducted into a clan, given our day names and family names. They made the ceremony

as authentic as is possible

. You could see the respect and awe on the face of each group member as the old man went through the ritual of ‘birthing’ them into the royal family of Abeadze. I know this will not be forgotten anytime soon. My name is henceforth, Donna Abena (Tuesday-born) Ewusiwah Cox.

Aburi Gardens and Boti Falls

On Saturday we traveled to Aburi Gardens and Boti Fall. Both of these were beautiful. Our guide was a student in the horticulture program and did an excellent job explaining the names of the trees. One tree in particular captured my attention. It was a strangler vine. This tree is so interesting because it grows next to the host tree and slowly begins to encircle it. After it has totally enclosed the host tree, it smothers it. Eventually, the host tree dies leaving the strangler tree to stand – alone. We were able to walk inside one where the cycle was complete. It was so interesting and I’m sure there is a sermon just waiting to be preached about this process. Afterwards, we traveled to Boti Falls. Because there has been rain, the waterfall was full and really lovely. We descended approximately 150 steps and you could hear the pounding of the water well before it came into view. It was a lovely day.

Journeying To The Motherland

On Thursday evening, five of us left Cincinnati for a journey of several hundred miles and an equal number of years into the genus of African American culture. The journey commences as soon as we arrive in Accra at Kotoko International Airport. Immediately, nearly all of our senses are engaged. The smell, sights, sounds are distinctive. Though I’ve made this particular journey several times in the past few years, it is difficult to explain to newbies. Ghana must be experienced to be fully appreciated. And the beauty of this small group of sojourners is that they are ready for the experience. Traveling with me for this trip is Karen, a military doctor and her mother, Annie, a lovely woman who works in a center for people with special needs, Barb, a retired public school superintendent and my husband, Gerald, an high school principal. Karen has traveled to Ghana once before but for the other three this is a brand new experience.

We arrived at 8:30 am on Friday morning after having traveled all night. Because it was too early to check in at the Shangri-La, we began our tour. This proved to be a wonderful way to force our bodies to adjust to a four-hour time difference. Our first stop was the lovely National Theatre of Ghana. This is one of Ghana’s treasures and seats approximately 1500 people for a wide variety of experiences – from Ghana’s fledgling orchestra, to cultural displays, pageants, movie viewings and conferences. We are traveling during rainy season so naturally there was a huge downpour. Fortunately for us, it did not impact us too negatively. In fact, the rain made it much cooler.

After the theatre we traveled to the WEB DuBois Center where DuBois’ remains are interred. The home has been converted into a museum that houses photos and other memorabilia. It also has over 500 of his private books. Surprisingly, Gerald was able to hold DuBois’ book on African history. That would not happen in most museums and really ought not to happen there. Our group talked about the potential liability for this important part of African and African American history if there are not better curatorial services. Later in the evening we were guests of Kofi Bempong, our guide and his wife, Georgina. She had prepared a lovely meal for us, fried fish and chicken, kelewele (plantain), rice, noodles and fruit. This gave us the opportunity to see how an average Ghanaian family lives. Kofi and Georgina have three children: Kwesi, Abena and Emmanuel.

to be continued….

Visit The Beautiful Country of Ghana

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