Day 7 - Goats on The Van

Today we traveled to Ada - a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from Accra - to visit the Nkyinkmin Museum. This museum is focused on the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the effects on the people of Ghana and greater Africa. We started the tour with a reminder of how important it is to be mindful of the environment and the past, noting the surroundings around each exhibit, especially the sacred ones. Our tour guide walked us through some traditional Ghanaian monuments that were full of symbols, from turtles to goats, tying each animal’s behavior to how we humans interact with nature and each other. 


Then, we were introduced to the process of creating the brass busts produced by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, the museum's founding artist. Our tour guide explained how the artists here use beeswax to create individual and unique molds depicting the thousands of individuals represented here. He also noted that brass worked the best as it doesn’t rust in the elements - this is the first and only open-air museum in Ghana. Further on, our tour guide walked us towards the centerpiece of the museum. Thousands of the brass heads laid down, evoking painful and broken expressions conveying the horrors of what the Ghanaian people endured during the 250 years of slavery. The tour guide provided insight into the Zong Massacre, which took place in 1781 where more than 130 slaves bound for the Americas were thrown overboard. In commemoration of this horrific event, the museum exhibited a pond with partially submerged heads representing the victims. 


Finally, we walked through the modern era of the exhibit outlining police brutality. As we looked onward, we saw our reflection in the mirror reminding us that we can be a part of the solution in eradicating racism and inequality stemming from such a dark time in human history. 



After the museum, we ate at a local restaurant where chicken, goat, and jollof were served. Ironically, we spotted two goats tied to the roof of a van on our way back to Accra. Passing other semis and cars on both sides of the road is very common here and the drivers differ in speeds. After our ride back we had an hour or so of free time - many of us ventured to Malcom with the bus. 




We ended the day with our Ghanaian friends from the University of Ghana, enjoying dinner, dancing, and cake to celebrate Ire’s birthday!!!

Joe

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