Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum

It was hard not to be overcome with emotion visiting the slave castles on Goree Island. The beauty of the island juxtaposed with the atrocities that occured here is striking. Entering the slave quarters the air was so thick and heavy I could barely breathe, the weight of sadness, pain and longing still stagnants, trapped within the damp dark walls.

I said a prayer for the ancestors who were torn from their families and everything they knew to face a cruel and uncertain future. And a prayer for the African diaspora -- we are strong and resilient people. May we always remember the courage, tenacity, and the will to survive and thrive under any and all circumstances that is in our blood. May my life be a gift to those who knew freedom only in spirit.Read more