America.gov (Washington, DC)

Ghana: Obama's Remarks At Cape Coast Castle

11 July 2009
U.S. President Obama met with AllAfrica's Charles Cobb, Jr., Reed Kramer and Tamela Hultman at the White House to discuss issues facing the continent ... ( Resource: Obama Discusses Africa - AllAfrica Interview

U.S. president says former holding area for slaves also offers hope

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

July 11, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT CAPE COAST CASTLE

Cape Coast Castle

Cape Coast, Ghana

3:57 P.M. GMT

THE PRESIDENT: Michelle, the children, as well as other members of my family, just got an extraordinary tour of this castle. It is reminiscent of the trip I took to Buchenwald because it reminds us of the capacity of human beings to commit great evil. One of the most striking things that I heard was that right above the dungeons in which male captives were kept was a church, and that reminds us that sometimes we can tolerate and stand by great evil even as we think that we're doing good.

Relevant Links

You know, I think it was particularly important for Malia and Sasha, who are growing up in such a blessed way, to be reminded that history can take very cruel turns, and hopefully one of the things that was imparted to them during this trip is their sense of obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears, and that any group of people who are degrading another group of people have to be fought against with whatever tools we have available to us.

So obviously it's a moving experience, a moving moment. We want to thank those who arranged for the tour and the people of Ghana for preserving this history. As painful as it is, I think that it helps to teach all of us that we have to do what we can to fight against the kinds of evils that, sadly, still exist in our world, not just on this continent but in every corner of the globe.

And I think, as Americans, and as African Americans, obviously there's a special sense that on the one hand this place was a place of profound sadness; on the other hand, it is here where the journey of much of the African American experience began. And symbolically, to be able to come back with my family, with Michelle and our children, and see the portal through which the diaspora began, but also to be able to come back here in celebration with the people of Ghana of the extraordinary progress that we've made because of the courage of so many, black and white, to abolish slavery and ultimately win civil rights for all people, I think is a source of hope. It reminds us that as bad as history can be, it's also possible to overcome.

Thanks, everybody.

END 4:00 P.M. GMT

(end transcript)

Tagged: External Relations, Ghana, U.S., Canada and Africa, West Africa

Copyright © 2009 America.gov. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments 1 to 1 of 1 Post a comment

  • upliftdarace_144
    Jul 13 2009, 15:23
    Report Abuse

    COMPREHENSIVE REPARATIONS - White Europeans need spiritual reparations

    - Black Africans need spiritual & financial reparations

    A. Appendix of Uncle Tom's Cabin Lists Companies who engaged in slavery

    B. NAACP & Black African Newspapers - records & details of lynchings

    1. Post Emancipation Slavery Cases (Convict Labor System Continues) via Modern Slavery Owners –

    2. Prison Stock Wall Street

    3. No Statute of Limitations on Murder ;[ LYNCHINGS ]

    BOOKNOTES FROM THE BOOK (and other sources) “ 100 YEARS OF LYNCHING “ BY RALPH GINZBURG

    [A – H victims ] - THEIR LOCATIONS & DATES

    * Henry Askew – Mississippi City, MS June 10, 1900

    * Walter Allen – Rome, GA Apr 1, 1902

    * Herman Arthur (1892) – Hodge’s Farm - Paris, TX July 6, 1920

    * Irving Arthur (1901) – Hodge’s Farm - Paris, TX July 6, 1920

    * Charles Atkins (1907) – Davisboro , GA May 18, 1922

    * Henry Argo (1911) – Chickasha , OK May 31, 1930

    * George Armwood (1909) – Princess Anne, MD Oct 18, 1933

    * Will Burks (1881) – Greenwood,SC Feb 18, 1900

    * James Bailey – Lake Cormorant, TX July 15, 1914

    * Jeff Brown – Cedar Bluff, MS Apr 1, 1916

    * Cleveland Butler – Dublin, GA July 2, 1919

    * Will Brown – Omaha, NE Oct, 1919

    * William Bowles – Eagle Lake, FL ????????

    * Jake Brooks – Oklahoma City, OK Jan 17, 1922

    * Parks Banks – Yazoo City, MS Aug 22, 1922

    * Albert Blades – Osceola, AR June 2, 1926

    * Willie Bryan (1906) – Darien, GA Sept 10, 1930

    * Norris Bendy – Clinton, SC July 5, 1933

    * Richard Coleman (1879) – Maysville, KY Dec 6, 1899

    * Elijah Clark (1880) – Huntsville, AL June 23, 1900

    * Ballie Crutchfield – Nashville, TN March 16, 1901

    * Dusty Crutchfield - Hamilton, GA Jan 23, 1912

    * Eugene Carter – Pierce City, MO Aug 10, 1901

    * Tom Clark – Corinth,MS Sept 28, 1904

    * Luther Colbert & His Wife– Eastland Plantation - Doddsville, MS July 7, 1914

    * William Carr – Planquemines, LA March 17, 1906

    * James Comeaux – Jennings, LA Aug 28, 1913

    * Henry Crosby – Parkinsville, KY Sept 21, 1913

    * Mary Conley – Arlington, GA Oct 4, 1916

    * Lloyd Clay (1895) – Jackson, MS June 4, 1919

    * Eli Cooper – Eastman, GA - Burned Lodges & Churches too Aug 29, 1919

    * Dallas Cooksey – Johnson City, TN Oct 28, 1920

    * “Shap” Curry (1896) – King Ranch - Kirvin, TX May 6, 1922

    * John Cornish (1903) – King Ranch - Kirvin, TX May 6, 1922

    * Samuel Carter (1877) – Bronson, FL - This actual lynching was depicted In the movie “Rosewood “ Jan 4, 1923

    * Lindsay Coleman – Nicholas Plantation - Clarksdale, MS Dec 19, 1928

    * Henry Choate (1909) – Columbia, TN Nov 12, 1927

    * Cord Cheeck (1913) – Columbia, TN Dec 15, 1933

    * John Criggs (ca. 1904) – Newton, TX - Worked At Box Factory June 21, 1934

    * Richard Dickerson – Springfield, OH Feb 7, 1904 ?

    * Jim Durfee – Angleton , TX Oct 14, 1914

    * Frank Dodd – DeWitt, AR Oct 9, 1914

    * George Dorsey (1919) & Wife - Monroe, GA July 27, 1946

    * Charles Evan – Norway, SC July 2, 1903

    * Ruben Elrod – Piedmont, SC July 2, 1903

    * Warren Eton – Monroe, LA Oct 22, 1913

    * Charles Fisher – Marshall, TX April 29, 1914

    * John Foreman + 1 / - Nowata, OK Sept 30, 1916

    * Jim Fox – Louisville, MS June 13, 1927

    * Mark Fox – Louisville , MS June 13, 1927

    * Gulley (whole name unkown) – Pierce City, MO Aug 10, 1901

    * Richard Galloway + 1 / Beaumont, TX June 6, 1913

    * Wilson Gardner – Birmingham, AL Aug 25, 1913

    * Willie Green – Cowards, SC Dec 6, 1914

    * Ernest Glenwood ? – Americus, GA Oct 3, 1919

    * Philip Gathans ? – Rincon, GA June 21, 1920

    * George Gay (1897) – Fairfield, TX Dec 14, 1922

    * George Grant – Darien, GA Sept 10, 1930

    * David Gregory – Beaumont, TX Dec 8, 1933

    * Sam Holt – Newman, GA Apr 23, 1899

    * Belle Hathaway – Hamilton, GA Jan 23, 1912

    * Eugene Hamming – Hamilton, GA Jan 23, 1912

    * Hammet, Jess ? – Vivian, LA Aug 26, 1916

    * George Holden – Monroe, LA May 1, 1919

    * Robert Hicks (1896) – Lake Village, AR Nov 29, 1921

    * Len Hart (1889) – Jacksonville, FL Aug 25, 1913

    * George Hughes (1889) – Sherman, TX May 10, 1930

    * Ellwood Higginbotham – Oxford, MS Sept 18, 1935

    [I – Q victims ] - THEIR LOCATIONS & DATES

    * Ron Jacobs– Tylertown, Mississippi - Nov 10, 1920

    * Henry Jacobs– Tylertown, Mississippi - Nov 23, 1920

    * Richard James – Versailles, KY Mar 13, 1921

    * Moses Jones – King Ranch, Kirvin, TX May 6, 1922

    * Joe Love – Clarksdale, MS June 9, 1934

    * Wesley Johnson – Montgomery, AL June 4, 1937

    * Ray Newsome –H.A. Woods Farm–Pinetta, FL Oct 1, 1921

    * Nash Nelson (1909) –Ringgold, LA Feb 20, 1933

    * Andrew McCloud (1908) – Bastrop, LA July 9, 1934

    * Claude Neal (1911) – Marianna, FL Oct 27, 1934

    * “Bootjack” McDaniels – Duck Hill, MS Apr 14, 1937

    * Wilder McGowan (1914) – Wiggins, MS Nov 22, 1938

    * Roger Malcolm (1919) & His Wife – Monroe, GA July 27, 1916

    Warren ? (1906) – New Dacus, TX June 24, 1922

    An African American - Pilot Point, TX Dec 29, 1922

    Clarence ? – Aiken, SC Oct 8, 1926

    Bertha ? – Aiken, SC Oct 8, 1926

    Demon ? – Aiken, SC Oct 8, 1926

    Willie Kirkland – Magnolia Gardens, GA Sept 25, 1936 ?

    ??? - Ninety-Six, SC Oct 9, 1933

    Wylie McNeely (1902) – Leesburg, TX Oct 11, 1921

    John Peterson – Demark, SC – ca. 1899

    F.D. McLand - Shreveport, LA – June 19, 1901

    John Pennington – Enterprise, AL – August 7, 1901

    Pierce City African Americans –Pierce City, MO –August 20,1901

    Dudley Morgan – Lansing, TX – May 22, 1902

    Ed Johnson – Knoxville, TN – March 19, 1906

    Judge James – Pine Bluff, AR – March 26, 1910

    15–20 Negroes –Slocum-Denisons Springs-Palestine,TX7/31/1910

    Honea Path – Augusta, GA – November 13, 1916 ?

    John Moore – Hamilton, GA – January 23, 1912

    Tom Miles – Shreveport, LA – April 9, 1912

    A/A Man – Jackson, GA – May 4, 1912

    Willis Perkins – Sheffield, AL – Sept, 1912

    Walter Johnston – Princeton, WVA – September 7, 1912

    ???? Perrys – Marshall, TX – February 27, 1913

    Joe & John Perry – Henderson, NC – March 12, 1913

    Richard Puckett – Laurens, SC – August 12, 1913

    Lige Lane – Clinton County, GA – 1913

    Charley Jones – Groveton, GA – May 8, 1914

    Watson Lewis – Sylvester, GA? – December 13, 1914

    Felix Lake – Sylvester, GA - January 22, 1916

    Frank Lake – Sylvester, GA - January 22, 1916

    Dewer Lake – Sylvester, GA - January 22, 1916

    Major Lake – Sylvester, GA - January 22, 1916

    Oscar Martin – Idabel, OK – April 4, 1916

    Two A/As – Paducah, KY – October 16, 1916

    Will Powell – Montgomery, AL – July 25, 1917

    Jesse Powell – Montgomery, AL – July 25, 1917

    Ell Persons – Memphis, TN – May 18, 1917

    Jim McIlherron – Estill Springs, TN – February 13, 1918

    William Little – Blakely, GA – April 4, 1919

    [R – Z (victims ] - THEIR LOCATIONS & DATES

    Wells, George – Weir City, KS – October 30, 1899

    Rice, Louis – Ripley, TN – March 24, 1900

    Russ, Ed – Mississippi City, MS – June 10, 110

    Sanders, John + (1?) – Sneads, FL – June, 1900

    Reid, George – Rome, GA – January 4, 1900

    Ward, George – Terre Haute, IN – February 27, 1900

    Smith, Frank “Prophet”- Shreveport, LA – June 19, 1901

    Wyatt, David S, - Belleville, IL – June 8, 1900

    White, George F. – Wilmington, DE – June 20, 1903

    Steers, Jennie – Beard Plantation/Shreveport, LA- July 27, 1903

    A/A Residents – Whitesboro , TX – August 12, 1904

    Winters, John – Eastland Plantation/Doddsville, MS –Feb 7, 1904

    A/A Residents – Springfield, OH – February 9, 1904

    Nine (9) A/As – St. Charles , AR – March 25, 1904

    Richardson, Grant – Braehead, AL – October 13, 1910

    Verge , Sam – Demopolis, AL – August 4, 1911

    Qualken, Zachariah – Coatesville, PA – August 14, 1911

    Rufficant , ? – Wetumpka, AL – November 11, 1912

    Ricker, David (1883) –Houston, TX – February 8, 1913

    Williams, Andrew – Houston, TX – February, 1913

    Tyson, Charles (secret lynching) – Shreveport, LA – 2/16/1913

    Redding , William (4 wounded) –Americus, GA – June 21, 1913

    Swanson, Virgil – Greenville , GA – August 27, 1913

    Scott, Marie – Muskogee, OK – March 13, 1914

    Sullivan, Fred & Wife – Byhalia, MS – November 25, 1914

    Reed, Young – Cedar Keys, FL – February 26, 1915

    Sheffield , Caesar – Lake Park, GA – April 17, 1915

    Wilton, Mallie? – Dresden, TN – September 8, 1915

    Stevenson, Cordelia – Columbus, MS – December 18, 1915

    Wasshington, Jesse – Waco, TX - May 15, 1916

    Smith, Bert – Goose Creek, TX - October 12, 1917

    Washington, Berry – Eastman, GA – May, 1919

    Scott, Henry – Atlantic Coastline R/R , FL – May 8, 1920

    Roach, Edward (1896) – Durham, NC – July 8, 1920

    Roland, Jim – Camillia, GA – February 13, 1921

    Slater, Phil (1871) – Monticelle, AR – March 17, 1921

    Smith, Leroy (1907) – McGhee, AR – May 27, 1921

    Williams, John Henry – Moultrie, GA – June 20, 1921

    Winn, Alexander – Coolidge, TX – August 16, 1921

    Wothfield, Jerome – Winstron, NC – August 18, 1921

    Turner, Will – Helena, AR – November 19, 1921

    Rouse, Fred – Armour Packing – Ft. Worth, TX – Dec 12, 1921

    Thomas , Jesse + 1 - Waco, TX – May 27, 1922

    West, John – Hope, AR – July 28, 1922

    Wright, Charles – Perry, FL – September 14, 1922

    Young, Albert – Perry, FL – September 14, 1922

    Scott, James T. – Columbia, MO – April 29, 1923

    Warner, Lloyd – St. Joseph, MO – November 29, 1933

    Thomas, Isaac – Clarksdale, MS – June 9, 1934

    Sanders, James (1909) – Bolton, MS – July 16, 1934

    Young, Ab – Slayden, MS – March 12, 1935

    Tyrone, R.J. – Hattiesburg, MS – April 24, 1935

    Shaw, Lint (1891) – Colbert, GA – April 28, 1934

    Townes, Roosevelt – Duck Hill, MS – October 14, 1934

    Williams, A.C. – Quincy, FL – 1934?

    VICTIMS , THEIR LOCATIONS & DATES

    * UNKNOWN AFRICAN AMERICANS LYNCHED *

    - 1 Person - Eastman, GA Sept 11, 1903

    - 3 Persons – Doddsville, MS Feb 7, 1904

    - 4 Persons – Dady, FL (Also many A/As left town) Aug 4, 1910

    - 2 Persons – Hartwell, GA (1 beaten) Jan 3, 1916

    - 6 Persons - Blakely, GA (Also Lodge & Church Burned) Jan 3, 1916

    * An African-American R/R Porter – Atlantic Coastline R/R (FL) May 8, 1920

    [As pay got better for R/R workers, many A/As Were terrorized or killed – Hence we now have mostly White Railroad Workers]

    * Joe “Pop” – Omaha, NE Oct 10, 1891

    * Ed _____ - Black River Section Of Williamsburg County Jan 13, 1927

    * [Unknown] – Columbus, MS July 22, 1933

    * [Unknown] – Franklinton, LA Jan 11, 1933

    * [Unknown ] – Savannah, GA – March 30, 1902

    Unknown – Wetumpka, AL – November 11, 1912

    A/A Woman – Wagner, OK – April, 1914

    Sea????, ____- Sylvester, GA – January 22, 1916

    One(1) A/A - Stuttgart, AR – Late August , 1916

    A/A Brakeman Yazoo & MS Valley R/R - March 17, 1921

    _____, Albert - Perry, FL – September 14, 1922

    Unknown – Streetman, TX – December 11, 1922 Swa???, Henry – Palm Beach , FL – Circa 1923

    MOBS OUT OF CONTROL

    Places ,Dates & Estimates of the total crowd(s)

    STATE CITY/COUNTY DATE CROWD

    ALABAMA Huntsville 7/23/1900 1,500 Montgomery 5/22/? 1,500

    ARKANSAS Nodema 1/27/1921 500 Texarkana 7/28/1922 100

    DELEWARE Wilmington 6/22/1903 2,000

    FLORIDA Marianna 10/27/1934 7,000

    GEORGIA Newman 4/23/1899 2,000 Rome 1/3/1901 150 Rome 4/1/1902 4,000 Hamilton 1/23/1912 100 Eastman 7/14/1901 50 Americus 6/21/1913 500 Rincon 6/21/1920 5,000 Davisboro 5/18/1922 200 Royston 4/28/1936 100

    KENTUCKY Maysville 12/7/1899 2,000 Versailles 3/13/1921 50

    LOUISIANA Shreveport 6/19/1901 200 Shreveport 8/26/1916 1,000 Sylvester 12/12/1914 200 Bastrop 7/9/1934 3,000 Ringgold 3/1/1933 1,500

    MARYLAND Princess Anne 10/18/1933 3,000 Salisbury 11/28/1933 500

    MOBS OUT OF CONTROL

    Places ,Dates & Estimates of the total crowd(s) STATE CITY/COUNTY DATE CROWD

    MISSISSIPPI Biloxi 6/10/1900 100 Clarksdale 6/9/1934 150 Doddsville 2/7/1904 1,000 Vicksburg 5/15/1919 1,000 Winon 4/13/1937 100

    MISSOURI Columbia 4/29/1923 500 Maryville 1/31/1931 3,000 St. Joseph 11/29/1933 10,000

    NEBRASKA Omaha 10/10/1891 10,000

    NORTH CAROLINA Roxboro 7/8/1920 200 Winston 8/18/1921 2,000

    OHIO Lima 8/31/1916 3,000

    OKLAHOMA Chickasha 5/31/1930 1,000

    SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia 2/18/1900 250

    TENNESSEE Estill Springs 2/12/1918 2,000

    TEXAS Corsicana 3/13/1901 5,000 El Campo ??? 300 Ft. Worth (Armour Packing) 12/17/1921 30 Goose Creek 10/12/1917 800 Houston 2/8/1913 1,000 Houston 6/24/1922 300 Kirvin 5/6/1922 500 Lansing 5/22/1902 4,000 Newton 6/21/1934 200 Palestine 7/31/1910 300 Paris 1/6/1920 3,000 Streetman 12/14/1922 1,500 Waco 5/15/1916 15,000

    MISCELLANEOUS

    1 Mass Exodus Of African Americans – resulting in major losses of properties. a) Yazoo City, MS – August 10, 1923

    2) African Americans Homes and/or Churches Burned a) Sherman , TX – May 10, 1930 b) Winnsboro, SC – June 14, 1932

    HEROES , THEIR LOCATIONS & DATES

    NAME (S) LOCATION DATE

    Sheriff Ely Lima, OH 8/31/1916

    14 Year Old Sheriff’s Daughter Columbia,SC Jan, 1917

    Grover C. Fain (Police Captain) Atlanta,GA 9/10/1930

    Sheriff Hood & 6 Deputies Winnsboro,SC ??

    Police Whitesboro,TX 8/13/1903

    Dr. James W. Reid Lowell, NC 3/26/1933

    Mayor Edward P. Smith Omaha,NE 9/29/1919

    Governor Stanley Murray, KY Jan, 1917

    Sheriff R.J. White Spartanburg,SC 8/18/1913

    [This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]

    Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.

    We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?

    Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.

    Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.

    There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.

    We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.

    We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.

    It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.

    And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.

    And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others

    - Marianne Williamson -

    [NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]

    (Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )

    God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .

    God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.

    From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.

    Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.

    [Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]

    [http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/]

    WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

    - Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]

Topical Focus

Obama Discusses Africa

Double click above to play, or download this mp3

President Obama Visits Ghana Read more »