Media in Ghana

Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

Many people think that slavery is a thing of the past, yet it is still happening around the world today. The past weekend was a somber reminder of what used to happen at slave forts in Ghana.

Both of the forts we visited, Cape Coast and Elmina, had this feeling of uneasiness, like the ghosts from the past were still haunting the fort.

The hardest part of the whole trip was going into the dungeons where the slaves were held. That feeling of uneasiness turned into a horrific feeling quickly when the guide started telling us about what went on in the dungeons. In one cell at Elmina Castle there would be up to 400 prisoners in it at one time. The ones that were fit enough were taken to “The Door of No Return” to be put on slave ships and the ones that were not fit enough eventually died there.

After that, we were led into one dungeon and the lights were turned off, which is when the reality of situation really sunk in; it was crowded, pitch black and hot. Plus, there wasn’t even that many people in the room compared to how many people were put in when it was used as a slave fort.

It is unimaginable what the people that were in this situation went through. Most people know about it because they read about it in a book or saw a program on television, but the reality only sinks in once you’ve stood where the slaves once stood.