The House Of Slaves

I was very excited by the whole trip to Senegal and especially by the part in the Goree Island, where I will finally see the Door Of No Return. I felt highly fulfilled to stand there with my Caribbean brothers Ivan and Sebastián. I brought them back. It sounds very presumptuous, but this is how I felt about it. Ivan and I dreamt so much about this day.

I was also back myself, after so many years out of Africa.

My mother told me she cried a lot while visiting the House of Slaves in Gorée, before I was born. I’m not gonna lie, I did cry while there as well. What caught me is especially the commemorative plaque from the Austin College Students Faculty.

Despite the tears, I have nothing but magic memories of those two days. We’ve felt so welcomed and at ease.

Out of so many suffering and sorrows, Gorée managed to become a magical, beautiful and timeless island.

My mother never wanted to go back, but she told me she would like me to go to Ouidah, in Benin, someday. She couldn’t take us when we traveled there. I surely will.

This journey confirmed to me how much I love the whole continent, how much I want to travel there, to take my daughter there, as much as possible, if not go back to live there.

We love and honor you Mother Land.