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Ghana's history is indelibly marked by its involvement in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Along its sandy beaches lie many forts and castles which serve as a chilling reminder of the 60 million captives housed for export to nations around the world. We visited Elmina castle, which was built by the Portuguese in 1482. It was originally built to protect the gold rich land and the gold trade.

As we walked through the dungeon and slave cells the odor of death still hung in the walls. At a nearby castle is an engraved plaque that summarizes the lesson to be learned from these white washed structures; it states:

"In everlasting memory of the anguish of our ancestors. May those who died rest in peace. May those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity. We, the living, vow to uphold this."

(Castles & Forts of Ghana; Kwesi J. Anquandah;Ghana Museum's Monument Board, 1999.)