Make Slavery History

This past weekend I went to Cape Coast and Elmina to see the slave forts. For the historians out there, you may recognize these names as two of the largest trading posts on the coast of West Africa. The most commonly traded commodity in this area was slaves, despite the fact that both castles lie on the Gold Coast (the Portuguese names Elmina, ‘the mine’ for this reason). I have already shared with you a little bit of what I felt when I visited the slave fort in Shama. However, that was a small fort and the experiences in Cape Coast and Elmina, although similar were much graver. Both castles lie within the hearts of Cape Coast and Elmina towns, whitewashed and ominous, looming over the sea. Yet, the environment and people that surround their somber walls are lively and breathe the freedom that their ancestors toiled for. Colourful fishing villages, bustling markets, children splashing in the sea, are signs that freedom and salvation reign where they were once only dreamed of.

The stories told inside the walls were not as bright as the exterior. The conditions of the slaves were unimaginable and we merely got a glimpse of what they endured day after day. They lived in dank, overcrowded and under-ventilated dungeons, with poor sanitation. The women were victims of rape by the guards and even the governors that resided at the forts. Men that tried to escape or resist the guards were condemned and left to die. Cape Coast castle was a major slave trading fort for the British while Elmina, first owned by the Portuguese was mostly managed by the Dutch and still exhibits the symbol of the Dutch West India Company. The disparity between the slaves and the merchants and governors living conditions was stark. It was haunting to walk through the dungeons, down the tunnels that led to the underground doors that led the slaves to the boats that left for the Americas. They call the door the ‘door of no return’ and they have been strewn with wreaths and messages by members of the Diaspora in the Americas remembering their ancestors. I cannot imagine what a slave would do at this door. Would they pray for their return? Would they cry from fear and anxiety? Or would they sing to keep hope?

Just inside the gates of Elmina castle the following words were etched on the wall which I think capture the feeling in the castle:

In everlasting memory of the anguish of our ancestors

May those who died rest in peace

May those who return find their roots

May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity

We the living vow to uphold this

Disgracefully, we have not managed to uphold this as many people around the world continue to be ‘enslaved’ and are sold, trafficked and compelled to do work against their will. I pray for those that were enslaved and those that are enslaved and pray that mercy will loose their chains. I pray that God will continue to create reconciliation between the African continent and the nations that perpetrated colonialism and slavery. As we commemorate the anniversary of the abolishment of the slave trade this year, we should also commit ourselves to not just let time heal our relationships with one another, but work actively to build trust and reciprocity across races, religions and cultures.