Gorée Island

The Door of No Return on Gorée Island

It was astonishing to behold the juxtaposition of how such an alluring Island can bear an equally  loathsome history. The group was led today by Mohamed in touring the lore of Gorée Island. There we visited the Portuguese slave trading quarters where Mohamed described how small rooms were packed with at least 100 men in shackles. These men were being prepared for slave labor while the women were used for breeding naturalized slaves. It was hard to even imagine the barbarous  conditions these humans survived through. We then collectively gravitated our attention to The Door of No Return. This was the last doorway the slaves would go through in Africa before reaching the new world. Mohamed portrayed how some of the slaves would try to jump out of the boat, but would drown due to the weight of the shackles around them. The remains of their bodies were consumed by the sharks that lurked in the waters. 

These men and women fought for freedom the moment they were held captive, a fight that would persist for many generations. Gorée Island holds an important but dark history, each building or landmark tells the stories of the arduous life these people lived.It is imperative that we as humans reflect on the darker parts of history to ensure that we will not encounter them again in our future. Gorée Island was a beneficial experience that should be known by all, as it is an integral part of the world's history.

View from the hilltop on Goree island

View from the Ferry approaching Goree island

Today's blog written by: Andre Jordan