From the distance it appears a grand structure. Standing tall and almost proud on the Ghana coastline, the castle can be seen adorning it's rows of cannons amongst an environment of solid white walls, dungeons, metal bars and all the things that represent the cruel and shameful past of the slave trade.
The slave castle in Elmina is now a museum and tourist attraction that yields the historic structure to help visitors remember the past - a past that many people would like to forget but whose victims must not be forgotten. It was a time of inhumanity and evil and walking around the castle as an Englishman it is inescapable not to feel the embarrassment and shame of what acts our ancestors committed.
The dungeons are dark and filthy. The courtyards still display the posts to which humans were chained and the confinements in which humans were thrown. Human is an important word here; the lack of humanity that weeps off the castles walls and dungeons hammers home the fact that African slaves really were treated like lambs to the slaughter. Many slaves starved to death in tiny cells with a peep hole of light that was little more than that of gazing up at a single star in the sky. The women were taken up to the nice comfy bedrooms only to be raped and beaten by their British, Dutch and Portuguese callous capturers. It's easy to see why Barack Obama shed a tear when visiting Elmina's neighbouring castle last year. With the irony of having a church of Christianity situated high up on the castle where the dark dungeons lay below, it truly is hard not to feel the anger and guilt that the castle resonates.
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| Charles Adu-Arhin |
However the castle remains a vital entity in helping people from all around the world remember the victims of the slave trade. With the number of visitors consistently increasing, it appears more and more people are coming to experience the dark and tragic past of the Ghanaian castle. Figures released by the castle's manager, Charles Adu-Arhin, show a high number of visitors coming through the castle's doors. He told us that a total of 31,427 people had visited so far in 2011 with last month gaining 6574 visitors alone. All months apart from March and May shown an increase from the following year; the biggest of which was January where 5481 people visited compared to the 3839 of last year.
It's clear that the castle is now attracting a wealth of people from all around the world who come to remember the past of the slave trade. The exit of the castle has a comments book in which people can leave remarks about their visit; evidently with nationalities from all around the world leaving their comments, the castle does a good job in helping make sure that people from far and wide experience the sights of the castle. A group of 22 British people stated: "Very moving, great guide. Remember that whilst this terribly sad, it is also history and white people disagree with this as much as everyone else. God bless". Another added: "Though it was such a bad experience for our brothers and sisters, we choose to forgive the west. God bless Ghana."
After leaving the castle I was surrounded by young Ghanaian kids all being friendly, asking what football team I supported before one of them made me a wristband with my name on and a shell that had written on it: "To my British friend Ryan Millward". Looking back at the huge white castle behind me it felt weird; only two centuries ago my ancestors had these friendly people chained in the dark starving only to be taken across the Atlantic to live out their short lives as slaves to us white people. Truly sickening, we can only be thankful that people finally woke up and realised the true nature of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Perhaps it's apt that the castle's walls are gleaming with white paint - it remains a subtle reminder of the burden of guilt white people have.
It is an absolute must to visit the slave castle's when in Ghana to uncover the past. We must always remember those who fell victim to the oppression that the white western people injected into Africa. We need to remember. We need to appreciate. We need to seek forgiveness. This is one visit I won't forget.
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