Routes of remembrance : refashioning the slave trade in Ghana

296 Pages·2008·1.675 MB·English

by  Holsey, Bayo

Routes of Remembrance

bayo holsey
Routes of Remembrance
refashioning the
sl ave tr ade in ghana
The University of Chicago Press » chicago & london
bayo holsey is assistant professor of cultural
anthropology and African and African American studies
at Duke University.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2008 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 2008
Printed in the United States of America
17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 1 2 3 4 5
isbn- 13: 978- 0- 226- 34975- 6 (cloth)
isbn- 13: 978- 0- 226- 34976- 3 (paper)
isbn- 10: 0- 226- 34975- 6 (cloth)
isbn- 10: 0- 226- 34976- 4 (paper)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Holsey, Bayo.
Routes of remembrance : refashioning the slave trade in
Ghana / Bayo Holsey.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn- 13: 978-0-226-34975-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn- 10: 0-226-34975-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn- 13: 978-0-226-34976-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
isbn- 10: 0-226-34976-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Slave trade—Ghana—History. I. Title.
ht1394 .g48h64 2008
306.3'6209667—dc22
2007038227
o The paper used in this publication meets the
minimum requirements of the American National
Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48- 1992.
History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.
» maya angelou
In memory of all of the victims of the slave trade,
on both sides of the Atlantic.

contents
Acknowledgments » ix
Note on Akan Orthography » xiii
Introduction » 1
part i » sequestering the slave trade
1 Of Origins: Making Family, Region, Nation » 27
2 Conundrums of Kinship: Sequestering Slavery,
Recalling Kin » 62
3 Displacing the Past: Imagined Geographies of
Enslavement » 81
4 In Place of Slavery: Fashioning Coastal Identity » 103
5 E- Race- ing History: Schooling and National Identity » 122
part ii » centering the slave trade
6 Slavery and the Making of Black Atlantic History » 151
7 Navigating New Histories » 196
Conclusion » 233
Notes » 239
Bibliography » 247

acknowledgments
I have incurred a number of intellectual and emotional debts along the
road to fi nishing this book. It has at times been a di;cult journey, but it
has also been fi lled with moments of great joy and laughter. Above all, it has
given me the opportunity to meet people and build friendships that I hope
to carry with me throughout my life.
I want to thank fi rst the people of Cape Coast and Elmina who welcomed
me into their lives and generously shared with me their thoughts and expe-
riences. I especially must thank Alexandra Mensah and the entire Mensah
family for opening up their home to me. I am forever grateful to the sta= of
Cape Coast and Elmina castles for their assistance and hospitality in allow-
ing me access to the castles. Special thanks to Naana Ocraan, Leo Yankson,
Kingsley Kofi Yeboah, Kwesi Essel Blankson, Charles Adu-A rhin, Stephen
Korsah, J. Wallace Kwaw, Felix Nguah, and all of the tour guides who allowed
me to observe their tours and were an immense help to me. I also benefi ted
from the expertise of Nkunu Akyea, James Anquandah, Kwadwo Opoku-
Agyemang, Akosua Perbi, Akosua Darkwah, Edward Apenteng- Sackey, and
Robert E. Lee. Jamil Idun-O gde and Richard and Joyce Mensah proved to
be great friends, as did Vanessa and Kafui Tetteh, who always opened their
home to me during my forays into Accra. Their generosity has been truly
remarkable. Finally, I sincerely thank Ato Ashun, who introduced me to
many of the people interviewed in this book and often served as an inter-
preter. This project would have been impossible without him. Both as a
research assistant and a cherished friend, I am forever deeply indebted to
» ix