Elmina Slave Castle

Elmina Castle

On Thursday, we visited the Elmina Slave Castle. It is also called St. George’s Castle and is located in the township of Elmina on the coast of Ghana. The castle served several purposes in its 537 years, but there is only one that made me cry. 

The origin of the Castle

The castle was used to house kidnapped Africans, sell them to slave traders, and ship them out into the trans Atlantic slave route. Millions and millions of them over 300 years. 

As I stood in the dungeons and listened to our tour guide describe the atrocious and cruel conditions that these men and woman lived in, my heart ached. I am unable to comprehend how people could treat others this way. 

The tour included walking into the room where the Governor lived. He would select women from the female dungeons and have them brought up to his room. I stood in the middle of the beautiful yellow room, with wood plank flooring, and large windows overlooking the sea, and I thought about how many woman were raped in that room. 

I struggle to articulate how this all makes me feel. Angry, sad, confused, ashamed. I think about what it would be like to be taken from everything I’ve ever known, chained, put in a dungeon, and then shipped off to an unfamiliar country.  Leaving my loved ones behind.....sold as a slave...so that the "white man" may profit. 

Entering the Castle

I think about how this has shaped both the Americas and the Africa we now know. I think about how unfair it is. I think about my privilege and the privilege of my ancestors. I try to imagine what our world would look like if it all had never happened. 

Our instructor Jeanette brought us to this castle on purpose. She brought us here so that we can go into this practicum with context. With this knowledge we can begin to understand the complexities and trauma that have contributed, if not caused, the health disparities that we will see. That have caused the inequities, inequalities, and struggle. 

I also think to myself, “what can I even do about it? What can anybody do about it?” The trans-Atlantic slave trade cannot be undone, it cannot be made-up for, the problems it has caused cannot be fixed. But we can learn. We can do better, and we can make sure future generations do better. 

Over the last four years I have learned that education changes everything. Education is our most powerful tool, and that’s why we’re here. Not to educate the Africans, but to educate ourselves. 

Christie Fraser

4th Year BSN Student

UBC Okanagan

And yet....it's so beautiful