september-2010

King
They’re the seat of government as well as a hangover from colonial rule, and a humbling
draw for presidents and genealogists alike. Kate Thomas visits Ghana’s coastal forts and
discovers a country that's accepting its past to embrace a brighter future
W
hen President Obama toured Ghana’s Cape Coast
Castle in 2009, he stood on the whitewashed steps
and made a passionate address. “To be able to come
here in celebration with the people of Ghana of the
extraordinary progress we have made because of the courage of
so many,” he said, “is a source of hope. It reminds us that as bad as
history can be, it is also possible to overcome.” His words rang true
not only with African-Americans – many of whom are descended
from the first slaves to be shackled and led through Cape Coast
Castle’s Door of No Return, on to overloaded ships heading for the
22 Brussels Airlines b.spirit! magazine Sep-Oct 2010
of the
castles
Americas – but also with many Ghanaians, who are witnessing
the transformation of their country from one of Africa’s poorest
nations to one of its most successful democracies.
Though Ghana is emerging as Africa’s ‘golden child’ in the eyes
of many international observers, it's by no means casting aside its
past as the most significant slave-trading hub in Africa. Growth in
what has been dubbed ‘family tree tourism’ is bringing thousands
of African-American visitors, as well as other curious travellers, to
Ghana’s shores every year. They come to visit its restored coastal
forts, to walk through the Door of No Return as their ancestors