Welcome to the The Soultown , connecting our
I began to reading self help books seeking “ something ” to help me find me . I read the “ The Midas Touch ” by Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump , “ The Tipping Point ” and “ The Outliers ” by Malcolm Gladwell . Only to discover my ethnicity , socioeconomic level and education defined where I might end up in this capitalistic society . While on this journey I made strategic choices , took some risks but remained determined to define my purpose . At one point in my life , I fell in love with a African man I met on Myspace -- a social media platform that allowed people from all other the world to connect . He is from Sierre Leone . After communicating with him for about 6 months , I decided to take the riskiest decision of a lifetime . I traveled to the Motherland and married him . It was a Mandinka tribal wedding with all the African , Muslim traditions with bells and whistles .
I felt complete : seemingly this feeling of being lost had subsided . This too was temporary . After he located to America , it didn ’ t take us long to discover I was in love with Africa--not him-- and he was in love with America-- not me . Mutually , we agreed to separate and divorce , but our love continued to grow for the continents .
Have you ever been welcomed home to a place you ’ ve never been ?
When I got off the plane in Dakar , Senegal located in West Africa , I was welcomed home . The culture , the food , the traditions , the languages all connected to my soul . I was for sure a stranger in a strange land , yet I felt at home . Every encounter I had with the Senegalese was warm , endearing and unforgettable .
I took nearly 700 photos : Traveled to Goree Island and toured “ The Maison des Esclaves ” ( The House of Slaves ) where thousands of Africans died in the Slave House awaiting transit . Goree Island was like a warehouse for the African men , women and children until they were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean , sold into slavery in South America , the Caribbean and North America to create a new world . Many were taken against their will .
The tour guide spoke french only , but the countenance on his face and his non-verbal communications when he spoke of the atrocious living conditions in the House of Slaves seemingly translated into a language I could understand .
Human beings were chained and shackled in an 8-square-foot cell with only a small slit of window facing outward . Once a day , they were fed and the house was overrun with disease . They were naked , except for a piece of cloth around their waists . On the floor , they laid one against the other . The children were separated from their mothers who were unable to hear their cries .
The rebellious Africans were locked up in an oppressive , small cubicle under the stairs ; often the thirst forced them to sip seawater through the holes in the foundation . The salty water stepped up the dehydration process , leading to death .
The images of the slave ships used during the transatlantic slave trade ,
culture to our community
the architecture of the design of the house and the sign over the door , “ The Door of No Return ” was enough for me to ask the translator to elaborate on the meaning . He replied , “ It is the door through which every man , woman and child walked to the slave boat , catching a last glimpse of their homeland .”
An overwhelming sense of sadness hit me and I cried . Standing on the ground of my ancestors , inhaling the winds from the Atlantic Ocean from which they sailed , I caressed the stones their hands had once gripped . I felt the spirit of their pain . It felt as close as the person standing next to me . I also felt a calming in the wind as a feeling of comfort landed on my shoulders .
As I left the House of Slaves , I whispered a promise to my ancestors . I promied to tell their stories , so their great , great , great , great , great grandchildren would know of them and their struggles . Again , welcome to the first edition of The Soultown . Our desire is to create a publication that share promises of positive , realistic and in-depth stories impacting primarily African Americans and other minority communities .
Sankofa is an Asante Adinkra symbol represented by a bird with its head turned backwards taking an egg off its back , or as a stylised heart shape . It is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates as “ Go back and get it ” ( san - to return ; ko - to go ; fa - to fetch , to seek and take ).
That is our goal . Each story , article , column will connect our culture to our community . I hope you enjoy this cultural journey with us and be inspired to Sankofa !
THESOULTOWN . COM THE SOULTOWN • CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR COMMUNITY sankofa 3