Journal Entry 24: Reliving History

I finally got to see the Cape Coast Slave Castle this weekend. The group from my exchange program was split into two groups, one went to see Cape Coast Slave castle, and the other went to see Elmina Slave Castle. I had heard that Elmina was the more emotional one that had more to see, so I decided I would wait and see that with my mom when she visits me in November, and see Cape Coast now.

Dungeon for Female Slaves that were Disobedient

During the tour, the part that hit me most was the female slave dungeon; the part that represented where I would be if times hadn’t changed. We entered the small dark room and a strong stench filled the air, so unique I can’t even describe it.  The tour guide continued to inform us, “This is the dungeon the female slaves were brought to if they refused rape and needed to be punished” he said. The room was extremely small, but as he explained before, all of the dungeons held way more people than they were made to fit. He continued “the only time they were allowed to bathe was when the slave catchers 'needed' them”. I could hear grunts from the other people on the tour. “This is where they stayed, even while menstruating” he continued. “If a woman became pregnant by one of the slave catchers, she was thrown ashore because this could provide trouble back at home for the ones who were married. If a female slave had a mulatto child, the slave catcher’s wife might figure things out so they didn’t want to take the risk”.  His words painted pictures of images so horrid they can’t even be fully comprehended. I had trouble fully engaging myself into what he was saying, because a part of me didn't want to believe it.

Another touching moment of the tour was the “Door of No Return”, where the slaves were to leave their home, never to return again. Fortunately they made a plaque for the descendants of those slaves, welcoming them back. They called the outside of this door, “The Door of Return”. But I did return, and I walked through it--except  it wasn’t home anymore.