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Ghana: History and Cultures of the African Diaspora
Program Excursions
Please note: Final arrangements are subject to change
The excursions bring students to the 'heart of the matter.' The program expands upon various sources of knowledge by focusing on the ways in which the people themselves keep and remember the history of migrations. Students experience firsthand the information they would have gleaned from reading or from lectures. Having created an environment that makes learning possible, the excursions offer students the chance to begin to process the myriad of experiences that culminate in the program's overall objective.
Kwabeng
This is one village whose past relates directly with the African Diaspora. Students meet with village chiefs, elders, and members of the larger community to listen to their oral account of their migration stories. Students also learn about the traditional structures of authority and how these function alongside the modern democratic system. In addition, this excursion allows for the exploration of numerous villagers' views about national and historical issues.
Sankana
Here the focus is to find out how people, some three hundred years ago, employed the geography of their terrain to defend themselves against forced migration. Students learn how history is preserved in such cultural items as food, names and naming, marriage rites, and farming and defense implements.
Shai Hills
This archaeological site gives material evidence of the slave trade. The site is no longer inhabited, adding variety to the sources from which students gather information. Instead of a meeting with chiefs and elders, students are left with evidence. The student has the liberty to allow his or her own imagination to fill in the gaps.
Ouidah (Benin)
This ancient city is a melting pot stemming from the African Diaspora, with architectural evidence about peoples of African Descent who migrated back to the continent in the 18th and 19th centuries. Students learn of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey and the role that it played in the formation of the African Diaspora. This space forms part of what was known as the "slave coast of Africa." The near lack of material evidence contrasts sharply against the slave castles of Ghana that the students know so well, and to the information from Shai Hills.