America.gov (Washington, DC)

Ghana: Obama's Remarks At Cape Coast Castle

11 July 2009


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.

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)

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AllAfrica - All the Time
Author: upliftdarace_144
Mon Jul 13 19:23:11 2009

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 &… [Read Full Text]

Author: upliftdarace_144
Fri Jul 3 07:02:03 2009

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

Author: Nappytop
Sun Jul 12 09:01:39 2009

All African-Americans???

Author: thoare64
Fri Jul 3 13:26:12 2009

All might b well but will Genetically Modified food be an eventual problem for those who cannot afford to buy It?

Author: anothermj
Fri Jul 3 15:50:02 2009

I think this is another Michael Jackson act; that when MJ became successful - read accepted by the mainstream white community - he run away from his identity and seemed to be embarassed by his black African roots. Likewise Obama seems to be embarrassed by his African roots especially now how he is just going to make an inconvenient stop-over at Accra, Ghana after meeting and commensirating with the more important white European Superpower Russia.

Might as well stay away from Africa. It is a familiar movie: An African-American Embarassed with Non-European African Roots.

Author: ethiovice
Fri Jul 10 18:47:41 2009

You are talking a lot of nonsense. What do you mean he is turning into another MJ? For your information Ghana is one of the very few countries in Africa that has a decent gov't and elected in a proper democratic way. Where do you want him to go first, like Ethiopia, who has one of the most tyrant prime ministers who is butchering people every day like most of the others. Good on you Barak, please give Ghana all the support it needs.

See all comments (67).



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