Wednesday afternoon, June 29, 2016. After touring W.E.B Dubois’ Ghanaian home, I travelled with Keya and Adam to the A&C Mall, a grocery store south of our complex. It was a rather small store, but pristine. Swarms of workers paced in and out of two swinging doors in the back with mops, brooms and paper Read More …
Alright, I have nearly survived my first full day in Accra, and I’ve come out relatively unscathed, save for a slight sunburn, jet lag, oh and the $400 I somehow lost or left in the US… I can’t put to words how much I hope it’s the latter. Hiccups aside, I can already feel the Read More …
As the first week working as an intern is now over half way through, I find myself reflecting on the past few days and the experiences I have had. If I said it was easy, I would be lying. And if I said I didn’t cry every day when I got home, my nose would Read More …
After the first week of getting accustomed to the city of Accra, bonding with group members and acclimating to the humidity, it was finally time to start our internships. Yesterday was my first day at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and to say the least, I hit the ground running. After arriving to the workplace Read More …
It’s hard to talk about touring the slave castles along Ghana’s coast without resorting to clichés. The unspeakable horror of these places is palpable as you walk through the dark dungeons. It’s a sobering and humbling experience for a white American whose privilege was built on the backs of these men and women. In 2009, Barack and Michelle Obama Read More …
If there’s one thing that Ghana has taught me so far, it’s that things almost never go as planned — and sometimes, that’s okay. I woke up 15 minutes before my alarm this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. It was the day I’d been anticipating since my plane touched down here in Ghana: Read More …
Through research I was unable to prepare for what I was intended to encounter at the Cape Coast Castle, and it did not properly prepare me for the emotions and thoughts that were about to overwhelm my mind and body. Throughout my lifetime I have studied and been educated on the slave trade and hardships Read More …
When I spent a semester studying in Ghana as an undergrad, it changed my life. I knew I would be back, but I had no idea it would take me 14 years to get here again. Now, as a graduate student in journalism, it’s incredible to return to the familiar sights, sounds and people that I fell in Read More …
We learn about history in school, but we don’t truly understand the past until we experience something that gives us a glimpse of what happened in the years before us. We are all very familiar with the transatlantic slave trade and how it continued for hundreds of years. When learning about these unfortunate events, everyone Read More …
When I was little my parents rented Roots, a mini-series from the 1970’s about American slavery. At first I did not understand why we were about to watch a show that was going to take up an entire week of my time, but I quickly became engrossed in the series. This led to years of Read More …
Having high hopes and excitement to see another country in an entirely different continent, I excitedly came out of the Ghana airport. The scene outside looked familiar. The hustle-bustle of the traffic, taxi drivers almost grabbing your hand to take you to their taxis, the strange smell of petrol and dust mixed in the air. Read More …
You can never fully comprehend a different culture until you fully immerse yourself within that culture. Before the trip, I spent hours researching the country of Ghana, the people, and their culture. While reading articles and blog posts are informative, they don’t nearly compare to walking down the streets of Ghana and speaking with a Read More …
This is not just a hobby, this is a lifestyle. Known as the master carver, he has been doing this since he was 8 years old. You do not just proclaim yourself a master wood carver. The only way you can achieve that status is from the acknowledgement of others. A student asked, “How long Read More …
Taylor’s and Webfoot are two of the most popular bars in Eugene. Located right across the street from the University of Oregon campus, they are packed with students during the weekend, and many times during weeknights as well. It’s often hard to move around inside both of these places due to the high volume of Read More …