On the infamous Goree Island off the coast of Senegal, a hair-splitting inscription – ‘‘From this door for a journey without return‘‘, is engraved on the Island’s creamy stone standing on the final exit point to a hellish journey (of captured slaves) across the atlantic to the plantations of America and the Carribean.
Today, centuries after the the end of the trans-atlantic slavery, this inscription had long outlived its purpose. Indeed, it now serves as the first entry point for many descendants of slavery on their return journey to West Africa to trace their root.
Even when Bush barnstormed Africa weeks before the last PANAFEST celebration took place in Ghana, he further hyped up the new meaning which is now associated with this landmark of brutality. Essentially, the entire corporate America, led by the chief-executive, and accompanied by Secretary of State, Colin Powell and national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, both descendents of slavery, led the way back to Goree to declare (what means to today’s black America): a ‘‘voyage of return´´ – after all.
[PIC2SR]
As the vintage Bush poured somberly over the historical guilt, thousands of Africans in the diaspora were then heading to the epicentre of the slave brutality some six boaders away to Ghana – to commemorate and bemoan the ‘‘sin´´ and ‘‘racial injustice´´ meted out to their ancestors – with its crippling ripples hitting black America to this day.
When they assembled on July 24 for the pilgrimage dubbed : ‘‘On the slave route to PANAFEST´´, their collective mood was a cry against what President Bush condemned as: ‘‘sin and racial injustice´´ – stopping short of apology though.
The pilgrimage took off from Tamale (the northern regional capital) around 7:30 pm. Ghana time, with the pilgrims radiating with smiles. But the gung ho was to be short lived upon their arrvial at the Salaga slave market!
Only minutes into the tour, whilst being briefed about how their ancestors were tortured at the atrocious cites such as: the slave market, the slave master’s well, as well as the slave wells and baths (aka ‘‘Raafin Angulu´´) a Hausa phrase meaning ‘‘Vulture‘s land´´, which served as the dumping ground for dead but unburried slaves, the mood turned to that of shock and awe for both the strong and the faint-hearted among the caravan, who were utterly devastated – sobbing in grief as they struggled to take it in!
‘‘God will be discriminating if the slave traders will have to dwell in the same place with some of the salves´´ Dr. Robin Jones, a pilgrim from the United States, popped up emotionally in a post-tour interview with the Ghana News Agency.
‘‘God will rest my ancestors in perfect peace,´´ she barked reassuringly.
But after the gruesome experience of the day came a comical moment to sooth the pilgrims‘ nerves. Converging at the forecourt of the paramount chief of Salaga, Kpembewura Alhaji Braimah Haruna, the caravan was formally welcomed home with a spectacular rendition of some traditional music and dance. For some of the pilgrims joining the dance was not so hard an act to follow to be re-initiated into their origin.
During the durbar, the chief warmly welcomed the pilgrims home, announcing an offer of large tracks of land free of charge to every member of the diaspora who would wish to invest and develop the locality.
However, the chief‘s offer is only part of a general climate that had long found resonance throughout Ghana and (to some extent) Africa. Ghana in particular, during President Rawlings regime, had made a significant progress on a policy meant to offer Ghanaian citizenship to black Americans, who wanted to adopt Ghana enmass as their second home. But this policy was dismissed as dicriminatory against white Americans by the State Department during the early part of the Clinton administartion. It therefore had to be thrown overboard – denying Africa the chance of making a major headstart to link ‘‘origin and destiny´´ – accompanied by all its socio-economic and technological backdrops!
But to many optimists, diaspora need not have a dual citizenship before they could roll out their plans to develop their ‘‘natural home.´´
The District Chief Executive of East Gonja, Bismark Haruna, also present at the ceremony, could not have drummed home this point better:‘‘There is no point in crying over the spilt milk, ´´ he cautioned. ‘‘What is important now is to forget the past and think about possible ways of putting the pieces together to develop Africa´´.
Yet this point was not lost on the leader of the pilgrimage, Prof. James Small, who assured the GNA in an interview that their desire to trace their root would create wealth to develop Africa again and (they) would not hesitate to help develop Africa.
‘‘There are about 190 million people across the Atlantic Ocean and they are ready to help Africa,´´, reiterated Prof. Small, an African-American university lecturer who is aka Alhaji Amin Rashid.
But, many African commentators want more synergy in approach in order to reach the desired goal.
For decades since their first home coming, Africans in the diaspora have been contributing in their various small ways to help Africa out of the woods. But there is the need for a more co-ordinated approach to make for a more meaningful development objective.
The African Union (AU), best placed to provide a platform for this synergy within its varoius institutions, must not disappoint.
Nonetheless, African women were not left out of the whole event. A day’s forum was held to deliberate on the role of African woman in the preservation of African value systems. Ghana’s First Lady Theresa Kufuor, who addressed the forum, called on women, to rededicate themselves to the traditional values around them which has been there for 500 years.
Mrs. Kufuor added that ‘‘ inspite of the technological advancement in western countries, they ( many African women) are careful to vigilantly guard important icons of their history through well-funded museums, libraries, and festivals´´.
Mrs Kufuor paid tribute to women like Mabel Dove Darqua, whose defiant role in journalism in the 1940s and 50s was hugely recognised during the anti-colonial struggle.
At Assin Manso, the pilgrims were taken to a heart-rending river in which ‘‘slaves´´ had their last bath before they were sent to the slave market. As they were told about the hounting tale of suffering meted out to their ancestors, some of the pilgrims broke into tears. After a while, they emotionally immersed themelves into the solemnity of the occasion to literally re-live their ancestors ‘‘experience´´ – by stepping into the historic river, washing their faces, hands and legs.
Among the pilgrims was Bishop Warre Shivers – the great-grand son of Samuel Carson, whose remains were re-interred in Assin Manso in an emotional ceremony in 1998.
After the moving experience at the river, wreaths were laid at the burial site on behalf of Africans at home and those in the diaspora.
If such historical land mark is to be secured for the next generation of Africans, people of African descent, and all those who want to know the African history, a major preservation plan on this and other historical sites is crucial.
In his welcoming address, the paramount chief of the Assin Manso traditional area, Barima Kwame Nkyi, best articulated this need by appealing to members of the diaspora to help his Traditional Council in its effort to build museums in the form of those at Baltimore in the US and Merseyside, Liverpool in the UK.
‘‘This would provide the congenial atmosphere for visitors and reseachers to reflect on the important subject of slavery and African history´´, the chief assured.
At a forum which formed part of the activities marking the PANAFEST, Dr. Leonard Jefferies an African-American Lecturer at the City College of the City University of New York, said ‘‘Ghana has a special responsibilty to unite all Africans and especially those in the diapora.
‘‘It is her sacred mission to re-establish all Africans to their ancestoral roots´´, he declared.
There was also a ‘‘return home ceremony´´ – a moving ceremony which was marked by a symbolic cruise via boats from Cape Coast to Elmina Castle.
Before the pilgrims set sail, prayers were said and libation was poured for God’s guidance for a safe sail. Beginning from the Cape Coast castle dungeons, the one-and-half-hour journey took the fourty pilgrims to the slave castle of Elmina arriving through the ‘‘Door of return´´.
On arrival, the pilgrims, who described the journey as‘‘smooth and ejoyable´´, were received by a full traditional protocol at the bank of the sea.
Clad in traditional Ghanaian morning colour of red and black to portray the solemnity of the ceremony, the Chief of Edina traditional area, Nana Kodwo Eduakwa VI , accompanied by a number of dignitries, received the pilgrims on arrival at the shores of the Elmina Castle, welcoming them in turns at the forecourt of the castle for the ceremony – amidst pouring of libation and ‘‘fontonfrom´´ drum beat.
The pilgrims were served with ‘‘Oto´´ a special Ghanaian ceremonial dish made up of mashed yam mixed with palm oil and boiled egg – a welcoming traditional meal believed to have a huge metaphysical meaning to their departed ancestors.
They were later entertained to traditional drumming and dancing such as ‘‘kete´´ and ‘‘Asafo´´, whilst some of them joined in the dancing.
Dr. Leonard Jefferies, who also took part in the sail paid glowing tribute to Yaa Asantewaa, Kwame Nkrumah and other heroes and heroines who fought against slavery and also lifted the torch of pan-Africanism.
At an international conference of African traditional leaders held in the second capital, Kumasi – to round off the activities, the Ashanti King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, called on African traditional leaders to build confidence in themselves and present a united front in the preservation of their status and the protection of their values and cultural heritage.
The King further told the three-day conference which was attended by Nigeria, Togo and South Africa, that the African continent could not be developed faster if her cultural values are not placed at the forefront of planning, decision making and implementation of at all levels.
Otumfuo´s call on African traditional leaders to be part players in fusing together cultural heritage and developmental programmes is not just a ceremonial speech – the King has himself embarked on some ambitious developmental initiatives by establishing fundations in the areas of health, education, as well as economic empowerment . An initiative unprecedented in the 300-year history of the Asante Kingdom. Little wonder therefore that the King has gained international recognition – as the first-ever traditional leader in sub-saharan Africa to receive World Bank delegation and aid.
After President Bush‘s curtain-raiser tour of Africa, diaspora has arrived ‘‘home at last´´, but far beyond the black-vote targetted spin doctoring which was massaged into Bush‘s message of racial healing with which he sountered into Goree – a real action is crucial to curb the racial hate on black America as a collective and encourage any efforts at linking black America´s ´´ destiny´´ to its ‘‘origin´´ – for a meaningful home coming.