Now that classes have started time is flying by like you wouldn’t believe. As I was writing my most recent blog I realized that I had not written a blog about our group’s visit to Gorée Island which, when visiting Dakar, is a must-see. If you’ve been looking through my pictures on facebook you’ve probably seen pictures of it but I didn’t explain the images or history thoroughly.
Gorée Island was essentially a processing center for enslaved Africans before leaving the African coast. The small island was filled with “slave houses” that would hold slaves for a brief period of time (most likely only a few days) before the slaves were put on ships headed for the Americas. The slave houses were owned by European merchants or African elites and the slave trade became central to the island’s economy. The most famous of the slave houses is “La Maison Des Esclaves” which can still be visited today and is in nearly original condition.
La Maison Des Eslaves is divided into several rooms/cells. One cell was for children and young women who were still virgins. Another cell was for men. Another cell was for women. Two small cells that require bending over to fit into were punishment cells for any slaves who misbehaved or attempted to lead an uprising. Of course with the mass number of slaves processed there were usually more than a couple of slaves who “needed” to be punished and the objective of the slave house owners was to punish as many slaves as needed to be punished, not ensuring that they had space to breath. Time in those cells was generally limited to 1 or 2 days.
Slaves were weighed to ensure they were large enough to be sold at auction upon reaching the Americas. Men had to weigh about 125 lbs, women a bit less. If any slave was found to be too light to be sold they were kept on the island for three months and force fed. At the end of the three months they were weighed again. If they were heavy enough, they were put on the next ship out. If not, they were sold domestically to be slaves to the African elite.
For me, the most striking part of the slave house was “The Door of No Return.” This was where ships would pull up as close as they could to the rocks then extend a plank to the door. Slaves were then forced to walk the plank to the ship after which they were never heard from again. The slaves were chained together so that if one decided to jump and try to die on the rocky coastline other slaves would be forced to go down with him or her. Two guards stood at the door in an attempt to assure that no such thing would happen.
Most of Gorée island has turned into a rather touristy area. There are vendors all over the place selling carvings and paintings and postcards etc. There is a beach and a few restaurants. There are a few museums and some people live on the island. It’s a beautiful in spite of its dreadful history. If you are ever in Dakar, it is definitely a place you should visit.
TTFN my friends. 99 days from right now I shall be flying over the same ocean that millions of slaves crossed on ships and the African legacy of slavery will come home with me.
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