Again, thank you for coming to this blog page, taking your time away from Facebook, Netflix, your email, and all the other things you do. It's much appreciated.
On October 13th, I'll arrive in Accra, Ghana. My first time leaving North America... and I'll be going to Ghana. I get excited just thinking about it. I have to whisper "I'm going to Ghana... I'm really going to Ghana." Words and blessings from my Ghanian friends has been amazing. They are so supportive and share my excitement. They throw out "Must See" "Must Experience" locations and venues. My friends, I hope I can do it all. Feel free to make some more suggestions. I'm accessible through email @ BlackStarPilgrim@gmail.com
This trip is so comprehensive. Most of the places my friends recommended are on the itinerary: Kwame Nkrumah's Mausoleum, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center, Ghana's National Museum, and Elmina Castle.
If you don't know about Elmina Castle...I'll give you a brief discussion. Africa's West Coast was home to castles-- reminants of European dominance. In the late 17th century, these castles, like Elmina, were used as part of the slave trade. I need to go there. I'll never ever recreate the experience of the ancestors last view of home. For reasons I can't express through written word (a terrible state for a blogger), this experience of being in the space of last embarkation is beyond meaningful. Hundreds of thousands of slaves from Central and West Africa passed through Elmina's Door of No Return. I can't imagine the anguish, anxiety, fear...
But, I'll be there. I'll be a descendant returning to the Door of No Return. I just had a "Redemption Song" moment...
Old pirates, yes, they rob / Sold I to the merchant ships/ Minutes after they took I/ From the bottomless pit/ But my hand was made strong/ By the hand of the almighty/ We forward in this generation/ Triumphantly
Not to be super transcendental or abstract or even superstitious, but this trip feels like it will be a process of patching the gaps... Again, I wish I could explain. But, you feel me.
Thank you!!!
On Friday night, I received an email from PayPal telling that my Uncle Paul (on my mom's side) just donated money to my trip. I haven't spoken to my uncle in a few months and before that it had been a long time. So his donation just touches me. I feel so very blessed to know my family supports my trip.
Liam has a children's book about the door of no return. It's something we hope to do someday.
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool. I think that's important for children to learn at a young age. What's the title?
ReplyDelete