ECOWAS Explorer

Due to Ebola in Liberia and some poor planning on my part, I found myself exploring the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) countries at the end of 2014. As a native of Liberia and thus a citizen of ECOWAS, I had toyed with the idea of exploring West Africa for since relocating to the continent from Atlanta, GA in 2012. "The universe must have been listening" I said to myself as I boarded the last commercial Delta flight out of Liberia to Ghana in August 2014.

After weeks of exploring everything from museums to custom sliced street fruit in Accra, I wanted to see more of Ghana. Luckily, a friend of mine invited me to a slave castle tour in Cape Coast. As a person of African descent, I could not leave Ghana without seeing at least one slave castle. A slave castle were commercial forts where slaves were gathered to be sold during the transatlantic slave trade between the sixteenth and nineteenth century. Cape Coast was built by the Swedish Africa company in 1653 and restored in the 1990s by the government of Ghana.

Considering that Accra to Cape Coast is a three hour journey, I would recommend a drive at dawn to get a full day of touring, activity and dining. The peach skies and mountains of greenery truly linger on one’s mind seemingly for a lifetime. We arrived in the early afternoon with enough time to take in the beach town that is simultaneously breath taking in its views and heartbreaking in its history.

Around 4p.m. I stood in the few square feet that held thousands of slaves and all their bodily excretions. Separated by gender, I envisioned the elimination of a man’s pride by his conditions and the rape of women that were likely my ancestors. I stood speechless as the tour guide showed the diverse audience of his listeners the water stream that over time had carved the figure of a pregnant woman in the female chambers. I allowed myself to be moved by the spirit of those that dwelled in these spaces before me.

Lastly, we arrived at the door of no return. Uncertain of what feelings of rage and bitterness may finally erupt where many of my ancestors left home forever, I walked slowly down the crooked path. To my surprise I felt an unexpected emotion, hope. Hope that if any group of people could endure such an inhumane experience, then what can’t we all live through? These are the moments that inspire a lifetime of travel and sharing those narratives.