Standing in the shadows of slavery

I'm writing this entry on a beautiful white sandy beach with waves crashing and the sun blasting. I'm enjoying the open space, the freedom to sprawl out in the sand and the beaming light illuminating my page. I am at Cape Coast. For those unaware with it's history, Cape Coast is home to a castle which was one of the largest slave holding sites in the world.
A few of us have spent the past 2 hours, walking in the shadows - through the make and female dungeons, cramped inside the cells and passing through the door of no return...
Our animated guide told us the horrific history, where many Ghanaians were traded for European goods and forced into a life of captive labour on plantations. I began to feel claustrophobic in the male dungeon with just a small group around me and very little light. I was then told thousands would have been shackled together and crammed into the gloomy space. A small ditch ran through the room where the waste would run out.
Our guide described the harsh treatment the captives received and how many would scratch away at the walls - just waiting. As he demonstrated the captives moves of desperation, my first tears in Africa ran. How could this have happen? Why did our ancestors not speak out? How could so many people remain silent while thousands were stripped of their belongings, families and freedom?
I slowly pushed the heavy door of no return,picturing the thousands who walked before me, forced through the door and onto the slave ships. Many never made it to the other side of their painful journey across the sea.
As we neared the end of our tour, our guide spoke of justice, of hope and humanity. That 200 years ago, slavery was abolished. No longer is Cape Coast used to house thousands of slaves however slavery is still happening. Thousands still work in Ghana for little pay and in poor conditions just to make chocolate. Poverty enslaves millions everyday, every night. No longer can we ignore the silent deaths across the developing world. As I near the end of my second week here in Ghana, the tourist glimmer begins to fade and the truth is slowly revealing.