Goree Island, Dakar, Senegal January 25, 2020

I delayed even more than usual in writing this post. I had to first collect my thoughts and feelings about my visit to this place. I have know about it for much of my life and it was among my top priorities of places to visit during this trip. I have read about it; I have seen a documentary about it. Other people I know have visited and described their visits to me. Still I was quite moved by it. It is one those hallowed places that memorializes unimaginable human suffering inflicted by the hands of other humans. I have visited others: Auschwitz, Dachau, and Mauthausen come to mind. All are disturbing, but I have to admit that I felt this one a bit more personally. I shall not go on and on about this place. I shall just present as it was presented to me. There is some controversy about whether, it is the place it claims to be. There were apparently many such places in West Africa. This one has been preserved and has become a widely visited tourist site.

Stairway of “The Slave House”. It was owned by a wealthy mixed race woman who owned several ships and traded in captive people and other commodities.
Under the stairway are the cells where humans were held for several months Sick, weak and old were culled. The desired product was workers who could physically work the plantations. Still 50% of those loaded onto the ships, died before reaching the Americas.
There were several small dungeons where people were held for several months until a full shipment of up to 900 people was collected. Men, women and children were held separately, as they were sold as separate products.
  • Passage to the gate
People in shackles and chains were moved across a wooden gang plank into the holds of the slave ships.
This is called The Gate of No Return.

Linda

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