slave trade

Dakar and Gorée Island: Linking history, tourism and local economies

With its just over one thousand residents, Gorée Island sits two kilometers (1.2 miles) off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. For tourists, the small island is a recognized cultural destination and UNESCO World Heritage site, based on its famed history as a slave-trading station as part of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. But for island’s residents and businesses, it’s… Continue reading Dakar and Gorée Island: Linking history, tourism and local economies

Exploring the slave castle, tourism and urban economic opportunity at Cape Coast

Inside a chamber of the male dungeon, three American tourists listen to tour guide Kwabena Kumi recount the history and circumstances of the location.

“Please, it’s somehow deep,” the tour guide warns as each member of the group climbs down into the dark cell. “Come closer and take a look, but watch your head.” Each descends, one by one, away from the slave castle’s bright exterior and into an inner chamber, engulfed in near total darkness. This is Cape Coast,… Continue reading Exploring the slave castle, tourism and urban economic opportunity at Cape Coast