Sun, Nov 22, 2009
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: Wow this is heavy! I visited Elmina and Christianbourg castles at Cape Coast many moons ago and the chains of our ancestors are still in the dungeons. After leaving the dungeons, an elderly Fantee man with his small grandson who served as interpreter, saw tears in my eyes and told me: "My forefathers a thousand seasons ago, saw this great house on our mother sea. It must have come from the gods, we thought. When it reached our shore, white gods with blonde hair and blue eyes departed and came upon our land. They gave us trinkets and shells and we gave them slaves. Had we known that you would be taken away and treated so horribly, we would not have done this. For this unspeakable blunder, the Fantee of Cape Coast apologize". Should we forgive them?
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Name:
PEACHES4U
Comment: Fanteeking: If you have not done so, read the histories [primarily of western African] written, and edited by Dr. Jacob Festus Ade Ajayi [to name a few]. Dr Ajayi is a leading if not THE leading scholar on western Africa. To paraphrase some of his work on the slave trade in Africa, when Africans of varying societies sold each other during and after wars, the slaves still were allowed to maintain their cultural identities, language, folkways and mores. Many went on to lead and rule in the societies in which they were originally enslaved. Hence, there is no comparison between the African concept of slavery, and what happened to our Ancestors. When the 'white gods' came it was assumed by the Africans that they employed similar concepts. Of course today we know this was not the case. And when the Africans learned of what was happening, they began to fight back. But, by that time and for many reason and factors ['in-house' fighting, bribery, jealousy which often lead to murders and coups, etc.], it was too late. Should we forgive them? Each of us will struggle with that question. Hotep.
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: Thank you so much PEACHES4U for your valuable information. Now I can release the ill feelings that I've had for the ASHANTI people all these years. I assumed their empire led our ancestors on to that ship destined for the 'new' world. Whenever, I would meet an Ashanti, I'd think to myself, "Was his/her ancestors involved in the torture and enslavement of my people? How could they be so brutal? The name Phillip Kweku comes to mind as the first Ashanti sent by the British to study religion in England. He was to return and Christianize the heathens. During my tour of Elmina, Black folks from Harlem, Detroit, Chicago, L. A. became angry when European tourist made insulting remarks about our ancestors. All hell broke loose!! Ghana gov't. was cabled in Accra and sent orders that African-Americans and ANY whites should not tour castles together. I'll NEVER forget that!!
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: PEACHES4U: One last comment, while slaves were in the dungeons getting ready to be shipped to HELL, the Dutch colonist were conducting 'Christian Dutch Reform' services in the chapel above. Now tell me, which heathens should Phillip Kweku try to christianize? Rhetorical question, I know, you know the answer.
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Name:
McNasty
Comment: I've known for a long time that Ghana was a trader of slaves and that the intent when they were sold to white folks was not to live the lives they did. But how can we blame anyone at this point? It's done and even this apology is what it is - cosmetics. Can't go back and the only way to truly go forward is to forgive.
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Name:
FiveMore
Comment: I've always wondered which tribe my people were descendant of .My maternal grandpa was tall and slender and my grandmother was a part of the "master's" lineage. Is there a way to find out which african bloodline(s) flow through black American's veins.I know we are all related but Why is there tension between Africans and African Americans?FanteeKing, Were there any blows thrown on the trip?Why would those stupid Europeans say bad things about girls young as nine being brutally raped by the captors?Women being left to burn to death tied to a cannonball.The ignorant Europeans started the slave trade.If I had known the ashanti tribe had any thing to do with the slave trade, my daughter's middle name would be something different.I forgive them for the mistakes of their/our relatives.
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Name:
DCGG
Comment: This apology is cosmetic and basically about increasing tourism (by black americans) in Ghana...nothing more... and while an apology is cute, I personally don't need nor want it...in my opinion the mofo's did us a favor when they sold our azzs out...and now beggin us to come back...
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Name:
whatdat
Comment: "It is perhaps not coincidental that their attempts to curtail the trade (whether by the king of Congo’s letters to the king of Portugal or by the oba of Benin’s temporary embargo on male slaves) took place in the early sixteenth century—the beginning years of the slave trade."
That is an excerpt from page 99 of Anne Bailey's book "AFRICAN VOICES of the ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE--Beyond the Silence and the Shame". It shows that at the start of the trade their was resistance from high African officials. Evidently, resistance to the deplorable commerce was greater than we know because the decendants of those who exploited our people do not want us to know the truth. Yes, Africans did participate in the trade, but Ms. Bailey--while not excusing them--gives a very balance view of their participation. It is a book worth reading. I mention this because it pains me to hear Black people duped into saying the same thing white people say: Africans were just as responsible for the slave trade. It is imperative that we not let white folks lead our thinking because from their first contact with our ancestors until now they have not had our interest at heart. Outthink them my people because we are capable. And do not let them put their thoughts in our heads and their words in our mouths.
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Name:
whatdat
Comment: Fanteeking, what happened while you were at Elmina is interesting. Just this past Saturday, i heard Runoko Rashidi (google his name if you don't know of him) give a lecture on Africa. He just returned from Africa. After going inside Elmina, he stepped out after a few minutes because it was too much for him. While pensively sitting alone, a white woman and her Asian male companion jocularly approached and asked him to take their picture in front of the dungeon. He cursed her out. Her companion said something, so Rashidi cursed him out too. Evidently, the Ghanaians have relaxed the rule you mentioned, but they might want to get back to it before somebody gets hurt.
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Name:
McNasty
Comment: FiveMore the tribes of africa are now so convoluted it would be a difficult task for any of us to trace our roots back to the exact tribe we came from. Also consider that some tribes were killed off in total, names of countries have been changed. It would prove to be one helluva undertaking should you choose, I wish you well.
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: >Fivemore/Whatdat: I was so overwhelmed with grief and anger when shown the "door of no return" and a peep hole the Dutch used to decide which slave would board and which slave would re-sold to the Ashantis. I remember being in the dungeons and being told NOT to take a flash picture because there were hundreds of bats nesting in the caverns above. There were Ghanan men with their european wives and they were leisurely chatting and giggling while tour was being conducted. One made a snide remark that I didn't hear and all HELL broke loose. A large framed Sistah from Harlem throw a "Mike Tyson" upside the european ladies head and her Ghanan husband/boyfriend jumped in. Then the brothers from all over the U. S. jumped in and we banged furiously for 10 minutes. Capecoast soldiers came and detained us and sent a cable to Accra and received cable to NEVER permit African-Americans and whites tour together. Ghana squelched the story in the news because in a few months, Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Picket, Carlos Santana, Roberta Flack and others were enroute to film a movie called "Soul to Soul". One thing I observed, we African-Americans really stick together on distant soil.
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: Fivemore/WhatDat: One last thing, while walking downtown in Accra, I innocently asked my Ewe and Ashanti friends, "who's the U. S. Amb%*$ador to Ghana?" and was shocked and angry to find out that Shirley Temple, the old azz corny child movie star during the 1940s, was it. I said damn, isn't there any African-American who is qualified to man/woman this post. Could Black qualified me go to Tel Aviv, as the U. S. amb%*$ador to Israel? Hell naw, the Jews would pitch a fit!!!!
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: >Fivemore: One last, last thing to answer your question. I read somewhere that there is a DNA laboratory in U. S. who have DNA data on large populations from all over Africa. You can give them a blood specimen and they can check its characteristic markers (amin acid sequencing segments) with their data base. They can determine the area of Africa that you are from. It cost $500 I think. Does anybody out there know about this service? Please inform FiveMore.
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Name:
naturalsista
Comment: >>fanteeking and fivemore, check out www.africanancestry.com. from the dna provided from a cheek swab they can tell you what present day african country or countries you share ancestry with. it costs about $350.
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Name:
SmokeyBones2004
Comment: Knee-grows, pleasezze! DCCG is correct. They just want AMERICAN dollars that's all. Ya'll all know how some W. Africans (not all) like to look down their BGN (boxing glove noses) at AAs, calling AAs abids/abeds aka slave-descendants. Pleaze! Those n$&&3rs can't do nuthin' 4 me.
PS, to the person who said YT was the first slaver. Sorry, but the ARABS were the FIRST and LAST (Saudi Arabia abolished slavery 1960) slavers of Black Africans and you still don't want to go there now. Peace!
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Name:
naulaj
Comment: FiveMore
here in indianapolis, in we have an African Festival yearly and the dna match is free. Maybe check with your local college or university and see if their student union has something like that or find the African Association in you city and contact them about their festivals.
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: Hi Naulaj: I'm from sad azz Indianapolis too. Please check out my latest book on the History of Indiana Avenue!!
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