Starting my new week by reading this fascinating feature in The Washington Post about the African nation of #Benin and its role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. As this story illustrates, the layers of complexity within the slave trade are mind-boggling. Ahead of the 400th anniversary of the first documented arrival of Africans in America--to be commemorated in August of 2019--I plan to deepen my commitment to understanding my link to the African continent. I've traveled to Goree Island, off the coast of #Senegal, and I stood in the "Door of No Return." I've visited the Elmina Castle on #Ghana's Gold Coast, and I stood in the courtyard where my foremothers were chained to rocks while the slave ship captains decided which ones would be raped. I can attest that as an African-American, you cannot un-see those images; they fundamentally change how you view your history. I was not aware that Benin is collaborating with the Smithsonian Institution to build two museums focusing on the slave trade, but I'm determined to visit them when they are completed. Big thanks to Jackson Miller for sharing this story with me. #Africa #AfricanAmericans #BlackHistory https://lnkd.in/dh7df9k …see more