Posted on 07/11/2009 2:21:16 PM PDT by nickcarraway
AMERICA’S first lady, Michelle Obama, fought back tears yesterday as she toured a former Dutch slaving fort similar to the one in which it is believed her ancestors were held before being shipped to work on plantations in the deep south of the United States.
On the second day of President Barack Obama’s historic trip to sub-Saharan Africa, the first family flew from the capital, Accra, for a tour of the restored 17th-century Cape Castle, previously one of the biggest slave outposts on the West African coast.
“As painful as it is, I think that it helps to teach all of us that we have to do what we can to fight against the kinds of evils that sadly still exist in our world, not just on this continent but in every corner of the globe,” said the president.
Before the visit, Michelle Obama, whose great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson, her oldest known relative, was born into slavery on a rice plantation in South Carolina, was made “Queen of the Cape Coast” by traditional chiefs of the region.
The couple and their children, Sasha, 8, and Malia, 11, then descended the narrow staircase into the dark dungeons of the ocean-side fort where thousands of slaves were kept for up to 12 weeks waiting for a ship to dock.
Thousands of shackled African slaves huddled in squalor before being herded onto ships bound for America through the “gate of no return”.
Ghanaians are jubilant that the first black American president has honoured their country with his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa. They have greeted the trip more as a homecoming than an official visit. “Akwaaba[welcome home],” proclaim banners strung across Ghana’s main highways.
In a keynote speech to parliament, Obama acknowledged his African roots, saying he had “the blood of Africa within me”.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Why not go find sites/places/homes of ACTUAL, present-day slavery?
How is this “painful” to Obama? Does it hurt his black half or his white half?
Damn you! I just upchucked all over my keyboard!
I sent you a new one. It’s in the mail.
Why was it painful for him?
As a Kenyan, his people were never enslaved and shipped to America or anywhere else. East Africans are not West Africans.
As a Muslim (so some say), his people were, in fact, RESPONSIBLE for the beginning of the West African slave trade.
What annoys me is that a BLACK MAN THAT IS PRESIDENT OF THE USA is ****ing whining over crap that occurred more than 200 years ago to NO_ONE that is alive today. GET OVER IT and ask your own countrymen (the african ones) why they sold their own people as slaves for profit much like they are doing in Washington right now, Mr. Poverty Pimp Obama.
So who went out into the bush to capture those slaves and sell them to the Dutch... ??
No relation, I presume?
There aren't any white Europeans to blame there.
President Obama forgets that he is half white
O’zer the great is on this trip primarily to help end his slide in the polls. He’s directing his energy directly at his base, the far left and black Americans. The author of the story neglects to say that the prison-masters who abducted and sold these poor folk into slavery were themselves, African.
Not as painful as it would have been if their "family" had remained in Africa...
How painful is life for the "Obama's" -- flying about the world on the taxpayer's back in Air Force 1?
The level of bullshit from that family has passed the unbearable point... Will no one rid us of this arrogant and dangerous bastard?
I guess nobody in Nigeria bought his Email marked “Most urgent reply.”
Dear Mr/Mrs. Nigerian:
I President Obama, President of the United States, having been assured that your are a character of most trustable and highly-regarded nature have urgent need of your communications in the nature to move $3.6 Trillion USD from a government taxpayer IRS account.
As I cannot at this time avail myself of these funds as a government official, I am in need of your services to act as an intermediary to accomplish this transaction. In return for your cooperation, I will pay you the stimulus of 360 Million USD (10%) for your efforts.
If you are serious to help please reply to my email.
Erkelly yours,
Pres O.Bama
Obama’s family OWNED slaves.
Obama was never a slave. He is like the black people who sold slaves.
wrong thread. Nuts. :(
LOL
No, the guy who runs this site is Jim Thompson.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.