U S Congressional Black Caucus Visits Castles

Elmina, March 4, GNA-A Twenty-two-member delegation from the United
States of America (USA) comprising Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
and their families on Sunday visited the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles
to learn, at first-hand the ordeal slaves went through and how the
Slave trade was carried out.
The US Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which was in the country
to grace the 50th Jubilee anniversary of Ghana's Independence was
lead by Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, from Michigan, who is
also the chairperson of the US CBC.
Ms Kilpatrick, after the tour at the Elmina Castle said America's
study and support of Africa was critical to the future of the US and
the region.She pointed out; "we are one big family, and we must, for
that matter explore the connections that exist between us, and that by
establishing partnerships designed to further our collective economic
and social development, we can continue making progress toward
building on our promise and realizing our full potentials".
According to her, the CBC delegation would be meeting government
leaders, including Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Olusegun
Obasanjo to discuss strategies for promoting and sustaining stability,
democracy and economic development in Africa.
Congresswoman Kilpatrick said the delegation would review the
progress of the American Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
Project, a five-year 547 million dollars anti-poverty initiative aimed
at improving the lives of the rural poor in Ghana, by raising farmer
incomes through private sector-led and agro-business development.
She stated that, the delegation would also interact with
community leaders and residents and discuss issues concerning
infrastructure, healthcare, education and security, among others, with
the view to providing assistance in those areas.
On the tour of the slave dungeons, the leader of the delegation
said they were indeed emotional, considering the torture and hardships
that their ancestors went through during the slave trade, and stressed
that, "this is a day we will remember till the end of our
lives".Congresswoman Kilpatrick said they felt remorse at what they
saw and were told and stated that the slave trade was the greatest
injustice meted out to man by man, adding that it was delightful that
steps had already been taken to ensure that this atrocity never
happened again.
Congresswoman Lee Barbara from California also said in spite of the
difficulties and hardships Africans encountered in the past, Africa
has continued to remain a strong force to reckon with in the world.
Other members of the Caucus, who spoke to the press, including
Butterfield George Kenneth Jr., Davis Danny and Meeks Gregory stressed
the need for Africans in the Diaspora to make sure to be always in
close contact with the their roots, with the view to contributing
their quota towards its socio-economic development.
They expressed gratitude to the leader of the delegation for
organizing the tour, which they said, had exposed them to the
realities of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Mr. Charles Adu-Arhin, a tour guide at the Elmina Castle, who took
the delegation round, informed the delegation that the history being
told was not designed to open old wounds but to serve as a lesson to
mankind, in order to avoid a recurrence in future.
The Elmina Castle, which was built in 1482 by the Portuguese for
the purpose of trade in barter was later converted into slave dungeons
for the Slave trade, which began in 1500 and this continued even after
its capture in 1637 by the Dutch till 1807, when the Slave trade was
abolished by the British, who bought the Castle from the Dutch in
1872.
The Congressional delegation, which had earlier visited the Cape
Coast Castle, is one of the 68 international delegations visiting the
country for the Golden Jubilee Celebration arrived on Saturday.
04 March 2007