Upon arrival, we travelled by ferry to Goree Island. An idyllic small island of narrow sand streets, and stucco houses, there is a deeper story of horror and black roots. Beginning in the 15th century and continuing to 1848, Europeans gathered Africans for selection and sale. Families were divided, women were raped, and the ill were thrown into the shark infested waters. An astonishing 15 million left on ships from this island alone, bound to be slaves in the Americas. We walked through a slave house, viewed the foot and neck shackles, saw the holding rooms and were humbled by the story told to us. We then poured out into the village streets and talked to residents who live amidst this history. It was an awakening to see life continuing on. A fellow chatted to us on a street corner about how he is a teacher of Brazilian slave dance and music; returning his slave cultural heritage from the New World. We hope to learn from this action against humanity. As we took the ferry back to the city of Dakar, we were surrounded by young men who wanted to sell us everything from wood carvings to sand drawings. This was definitely a larger more developed country than The Gambia, with a bustling downtown, busy port and modern amenities. Both countries we visited were over 90% Muslim.
We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment- Hilaire Beloc
Timely for Pesach, eh? There are so many, even today, still living in slavery. We are called to think of them this time of year, but more importantly, to act in order to address the continued violence affecting mothers, fathers, sisters, sons, and friends of people around the world today. Thanks for reminding us of this.
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