The Coast of West Africa

The beautiful southern coast of West Africa. This was our view at lunch a few weeks ago. I suggest clicking on it and viewing the image in its full size. I found this photo on Erika Gonzalez's blog. I could not have stolen and reposted it soon enough.

All photo credits: Erika Ingrid Gonzalez

Basketball in Africa

Obruni, Give Me Your Money!

Sorry for the layoff, everyone. Between switching living locations and starting our social impact projects, I have not had any time to update the blog.

Myself, enjoying a Coke and some drumming following the successful presentation of our video to the various merchants associations of the Cultural Centre.

On Tuesday we woke up at 5:30 am to map out the entire cultural centre. It took about 5 hours to complete. Here we are toward the end taking a quick break from walking. Pictured are (l to r) myself, Ariel Maxie, and Tram-Anh Huynh

The back of the Cultural Centre meets the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

This is one of the shops that we conducted a four-person interview in. The entire time I was filming I was distracted by the painting. Naturally, I purchased it for 20 Ghana cedis.

I mostly love the clouds and the ocean in this picture. It's nice to know that despite all the struggles the people in these homes face, they can at least enjoy this view and breeze of the ocean.

YayJays

Representing the YayJays on the beautiful Gold Coast, West Africa.

Another Profile

I was lucky that this beautiful girl would let me take her photo yesterday. She really enjoyed seeing the pictures of herself on my camera afterward. This is in Elmina, Ghana.

Ancient Capital, Ghana

Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina Castle)

The day after visiting Cape Coast, we visited the Elmina Castle. Built in 1482 by the Portuguese, this Castle and former Slave Dungeon is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. It was one of the most important stops on the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Entrances to Slave holding cells.

A male slave dungeon that would hold over 200 people at a time. When the doors are closed, as they were, the room is pitch black with one small opening above for ventilation.

Another slave dungeon as viewed through the bars.

A hallway in the dungeon. Knowing that I was walking on the same rocks on the exact place as hundreds of thousands of slaves sent to the Americas was entirely overwhelming.

Cape Coast

We took a trip west along the coast to Cape Coast and Elmina. The following are pictures from the Cape Coast Castle and Slave Dungeon.

Me sitting on the Governor's balcony atop the Castle.

Courtyard.

Door of No Return. After months in dungeons, these doors were the last step before boarding ships for the Americas.

View through a crack in the Door of No Return.

An original lock on the punishment cell (solitary confinement) door.

Fairtrade Work

After about a week of getting settled in, a few excursions, and some lectures, it was time to get to work. Today was the first day we did field work for our social impact projects. As many of you know, my group is focused on fair trade in the handicraft industry with a special focus on the National Cultural Center in Accra. Mr. Abu, a shopkeeper and community leader, is working closely with us and we thankful for the time he gave us today. We had a wonderful one hour conversation with him and a few others that has re-directed our project in a new and exciting way. Here are a few snapshots from today's film footage.

Myself.

Secretary

Mr. Abu

T.J.

Naakorkoi

A few more from the Gardens

Photographic Paradise

Photos from the Aburi Botanical Gardens

This photo ended up completely different than intended, but I still love it. At center is a praying mantis.

My friend and teacher Dr. Kwame Essien sporting a flower on his ear.

This tree made my jaw drop. It is ten times more fascinating in person. This is all carved into a live tree. The next photo is a close up from the same angle.

A Ghanaian Profile

Click on the photo to enlarge. Then zoom in. You can see my reflection in his eyes. I especially love that part. I dedicate this photo to Bagel. When I first took it I immediately thought you would especially love it.

Drumming on the beach in Accra

The few of us learning to keep a beat from the locals.

Hey, Alison!

Alison tells bad jokes?

My favorite photo of the trip thus far.

Flower.

Peacock.

Liberator and first President of Ghana

Ghana Maymester 2010 Hookin' Em in front of the Kwame Nkrumah memorial. Notice the building behind. The sides are the shape of inner part of a machete knife. In Ghana, a machete facing up and outwards means war, but facing in and downwards means peace.

My friend Lanza in a candid moment.

This was the first statue in Ghana of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. During the coup d'état of Nkrumah, his statue was defaced and vandalised. You can see here what it used to look like. As a strongly influential and powerful leader of the Pan-African and Neocolonialism movement, it is strongly believed the United States CIA was involved in the military overthrow of Dr. Nkrumah.

Just as we were leaving the memorial the unthinkable occurred. The Honorary Sami Nkrumah was visiting her father's memorial. She was kind enough to take our picture and speakwith our Professor, Dr. Dorie Gilbert.

An address by Dr. Nkrumah:

A great Son of Africa

Whose struggle wrested in

INDEPENDENCE: -

Creating the Nation

GHANA

The Independence of

Ghana is meaningless

unless it is linked to

THE

TOTAL LIBERATION

OF AFRICA

Little Red Bug

I have no clue what type of bug this is, but I sure as hell dug its colors.

The only possible death is to lose belief...

Photos from todays visit to the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial in Accra.

Me, in front of Dr. DuBois' memorial. At left are the urns of his 2nd wife, Shirley Graham DuBois.
A statue in front of his memorial.

Last year a Ghanaian artist painted a letter from Dr. DuBois to Dr. Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, on the wall of the small museum that sits next to the memorial.

"One thing alone I charge you. As you live, believe in Life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long."

-Du Bois' last statement to the world - 1963. Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois died in Accra, Ghana on August 27, 1963.