An Emotional President Obama Tours Former Slave Port with Family (w/ pics)

[rvablue]

*snip*
At one point in his family’s tour of the facility, the guide showed them the Door of No Return, through which slaves would pass, never to return to Africa again. Mr. Obama had his arm around his 8-year-old daughter Sasha, while First Lady Michelle Obama held hands with 11-year-old Malia. In remarks to children during February’s celebration of black history month, the First Lady noted that “African American slaves helped to build this house” in which the first African-American First Family of the United States now resides.

The president said today that “symbolically to be able to come back with my family, with Michelle and our children and see the portal thru which the Diaspora began -- but also to be able to come back here in celebration with the people of Ghana of the extraordinary progress that we’ve made because of the courage of so many black and white to abolish slavery and ultimately win the civil rights for all people -- I think is, is, a source of hope.”

The president seemed to be overcome with emotion as his made these remarks, pausing to collect his composure.

“It reminds us that as bad as history can be, it’s also possible to overcome,” he said.

The First Family participated in the unveiling of a plaque now hanging outside the male slave dungeons that reads: “This plaque was unveiled by President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama of the United States of America on the occasion of their visit to the Cape Coast Castle on the 11th day of July 2009."


:patriot: :cry: :patriot:




http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/07/an-emotional-president-obama-tours-former-slave-port-with-family.html



((WARNING: Don't scroll down and read the comments. The ugly, hateful, bigoted freepers have infiltrated the comments section in a desperate attempt to sully the beautiful and magnanimous scene described in this article.))


ed: pics

[rvablue]

1. spoke too quickly! thanks to all! n/t

[Control-Z]

6. Here is a kick

and a +Rec for you.

[lamp_shade]

2. Thanks rvablue. I watched the speech he made after touring the "Port" and he

did seem rather somber and emotional. I imagine Michelle was more deeply affected.

[rvablue]

7. Wish I'd seen it live. I hope they replay a portion of it on the news later.

And, yes, it must have an extremely moving moment for the First Lady.

Her ancestors are most definitely smiling down on her today!

[crispini]

3. K&R

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

4. What a perspective our

President and his family have seeing these historical places in Africa.

Thanks, rvablue..this is precious.

I'm not worried about the the freeper comments..that's what brainless idiots do.

[Catshrink]

5. Wow!

That is a very moving scene. Thank you for posting.

[Phx_Dem]

8. CNN actually had great coverage on this for a change.

And these pics are awesome! Thanks.

P.S. I love you to death Michelle, but those pants are not your friend.

:hide:

[Vektor]

9. Great post, thanks for this.

Very poignant.

[Fire1]

10. K&R. Now, I've got to go there and see the plaque. n/t

[politicasista]

11. Kick

Sounds like a historical journey worth taking. :kick:

[livetohike]

12. K&R

Thanks for posting this :hi:.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Very moving... A reminder, though:

We are nowhere near civil rights for all people. Gay people are still at the back of the bus. It is time to change that.

[Jackeens]

14. Thank you rvablue, absolutely beautiful.

:toast:

[PA Democrat]

15. K & R. I read your warning about the hateful comments too late.

I saw a documentary on the Cape Coast Castle several years ago, and it moved me to tears.

My local paper carried a great article on today's front page about the castle:



<snip>

Underneath the castle, there are five dungeon chambers for men. The strongest ones were separated during branding, when hot iron rods were used to mark their chests, and then chained and shackled together in the first chamber.

At any given three-month period, the castle held 1,000 men and 300 women. The men were confined in groups of 200 per chamber roughly the size of a 30-by-15-foot holding cell before they were shipped to America, the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Standing in the first chamber dungeon filled with heavy, musky air, Mr. Mensah ordered that the only lightbulb in the room be turned off to simulate the atmosphere for the future slaves.

And as the tour group stood in near pitch darkness with only a sliver of light seeping through a peep hole, nobody said a word when he asked: "How does it feel?"



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09192/983229-82.stm#ixzz0KzAOysTj&D

[rvablue]

16. Thanks for this important addition. n/t

[depakid]

17. More history on Cape Coast Castle and the slave trade

The trade between the natives and the Portuguese settlers originally took the form of what was called "The Silent Trade", by which items from one side were bartered or exchanged for equivalent items from the other side, by tacit agreement or consent, because of language problem.

The European merchandise exchanged for gold, ivory, pepper,gum, mahogany and other local items included clothing, silk, calico, blanket, sugar, spices, rum, cutlass, ax, pots, kettles and others.

Gold was perhaps the most precious metal sought after in those days, for it was the means of transaction in the European market as well as those of India and the Far East. Gold was then scarce in all Europe, hence it was highly valued and priced too.

So when it became known that there was a fertile and populous land beyond the seas, rich in gold and ivory called by the Moors, "The Land of the Blacks", King Henry the Navigator of Portugal made frantic efforts and got his men to reach and explore this fabulous land much fancied at that time. King Henry's dreams were realized when Portuguese traders discovered this fancied land of gold. Thus, began the lucrative trade in gold which later attracted various other European nations to the country, who subsequently built castles and forts not only to have a share in the gold deal, but actually firm footholds in the nourishing trade.

The slave trade was a later addition to the commercial trade in gold, ivory and other local commodities in exchange for European merchandise. It formed part of the Triangular Trade between Europe, Africa and America.

The Slave Trade is said to have began in the country round about 1480 when Europeans at Elmina sold slaves to African traders who wanted porters. Those slaves who were bartered for gold, were said to have been brought from other African Territories. Thus, it is clear that the Gold Coast then appeared to all the European powers as the most favorable country from which they could carry out their trade more profitably than in any other African territory.

In the Sixteenth Century there was a flourishing trade in sugar, tobacco and rum in America and the West Indies. The English and Dutch colonies were facing labor problems and wanted more slaves to work on the sugar plantations, mines and the pearl fisheries. The prospects for the supply of slaves to those countries became bright when impetus was given to the trade. For example, in America millions of dollars were in store for any European nation which could supply sufficient number of slaves to that country to meet increasing demands. The Royal African Company established in 1672 for example undertook to supply 3,000 slaves annually to the West Indies.

Hence the Portuguese who started the slave trade were followed in quick succession by the Dutch, English, French, Swedish, Danish and the Brandenburgers, who came to the Gold Coast and built castles and forts and competed seriously in the trade. They acquired lands for that purpose from the local chiefs to whom they paid monthly ground-rents and "protection money," meant to induce those chiefs and their people to be well-disposed towards them for security reasons. The struggles for footholds in the trade occasioned increasing hostilities among the Europeans.

To ensure regular supplies of slaves from the Gold Coast, the European powers adopted the method of instigating conflicts and wars among the various tribes. In the ensuing confusion, able-bodied men, women and even children were captured chained or yoked together by the captors and marched to the slave market on the coast, to be sold to slave dealers. Such tribal wars which have persisted to the present day, and became the bane of Africa, thus originated from the Slave Trade. In this regard, the tribal conflicts and internecine strife ravaging Africa today are seen as the manifestations and extensions of the Slave Trade believed to be subtly ignited by the imperialist powers in the shadows, and fanned into flames by their local agents or proxies, as before, just to further what a critic describes as their "traditional historic greed." It should be noted that in recent times such conflicts are mostly in areas of rich economic resources, especially minerals, for example Angola, Mozambique etc. where civil wars have raged for nearly two decades.

More here: http://www.theviproom.com/visions/slave.htm

[mrbarber]

18. I will never be able to understand..

What it must be like to be African American and see such things.

And I'm ashamed to admit, I'm thankful for that. The pure terrible horror of slavery must be overwhelming.

[Jennicut]

20. Yes, the terrifying feeling of never being able to return home

as well as to be under someone else's control. I can't imagine it.

[sarah553807]

21. Yet human trafficking is going on to this day

[Jennicut]

22. Very true and horrible in 2009

[glowing]

23. I read that there are more slaves today then back then. Worse, much of it is

sex slavery. Young children, mostly girls, sold into sex slavery by family members.

[elleng]

19. Thanks. I saw the pic with unhappy expressions earlier,

and wondered about what.