Obama visit to slave fort steeped in symbolism

[JonLP24]

Source: Associated Press

CAPE COAST, Ghana (AP) — From the rampart of a whitewashed fort once used to ship countless slaves from Africa to the Americas, Cheryl Hardin gazed through watery eyes at the route forcibly taken across the sea by her ancestors centuries before.

"It never gets any easier," the 48-year-old pediatrician said, wiping away tears on her fourth trip to Ghana's Cape Coast Castle in two decades. "It feels the same as when I first visited — painful, incomprehensible."

On Saturday, Barack Obama and his family will follow in the footsteps of countless African-Americans who have tried to reconnect with their past on these shores. Though Obama was not descended from slaves — his father was Kenyan — he will carry the legacy of the African-American experience with him as America's first black president.

For many, the trip will be steeped in symbolism.

"The world's least powerful people were shipped off from here as slaves," Hardin said Tuesday, looking past a row of cannons pointing toward the Atlantic Ocean. "Now Obama, an African-American, the most powerful person in the world, is going to be standing here. For us it will be a full-circle experience."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iMjXlIYXejkHMhDWuOX9LsgLhfwgD99BLJTG0

[zonkers]

1. A full circle experience. Bravo.

[No Elephants]

2. "Though Obama was not descended from slaves —

his father was Kenyan — he will carry the legacy of the African-American experience with him as America's first black president."

His daughters, wife and in-laws were descended from slaves, but the article ignores that. Odd.

[ohio2007]

3. Slavery continues in certain corners of the world today but it isn't an offensive issue.

UN inaction never puts together a strongly worded statement .

[Bigmack]

4. I visited Freepland today..

and some of the posts about this article said things like...

"Hmmm...did his relatives help build it? As I understand, his blood lines were enslaving other Africans and selling them to Europe and America. "

"Gosh —— will there be an apology for the slave trade? I certainly hope that no relatives of Obama’s were involved in capturing, then selling slaves to the west! Oh, the shame!"

That's the usual RW rap about the Africans selling their brothers into slavery.

Actually, I was looking to see if anybody had posted the news item about only 6% of scientists being Repub. Nope.... it ain't there.... yet... they've gotta get the talking points about it from HQ first.

[CJCRANE]

5. "Don't know much about history, don't much geography..."

Most freepers are probably like Palin and think Africa is a country.