Photo by Sam Devonish
With only a couple of days notice, at least 100 of Washington DC’s Black political and social elite ponied up $250 to get out of work on a Friday afternoon, tilt back a few drink, eat sushi and wait patiently for the appearance of Jeffrey Wright and the main draw, Maxwell, who was playing at DC’s Verizon Center hours later.
The occasion was a quickie fundraiser for Wright’s Taia Foundation, which funds infrastructure development in Western Africa - specifically and 18 mile stretch of road that will facilitate the transport of good and services and spur economic development.
Not that anyone knew that before they gave the money. But it was Friday, it was in the middle of the day and it was Maxwell. And in DC, that’s reason enough. In that city, if you want to stay on “the list”, sometimes you just write the check.
Today we followed President Obama to Cape Coast where he toured the slave castle and met with the Paramount Chief of Cape Coast. The journey to Cape Coast was a magical moment unto itself. Driving along the two lane coastal highway I found myself stopping to wonder about my connection to Ghana. For the first time I wondered if my ancestors might have traveled on the very ground I was exploring.
Things here, especially when you get out of the hustling city of Accra, become strangely familiar. Familiar not by scenery but by sensation. For example, I noticed that the roadside vendors sold ginger snaps, a life long favorite of my 92 year old father. One lady sitting in the doorway of her brother’s business looked like the reincarnation of my older half sister. She even smiled at me the same way my sister did when she was alive. Can a place be so strangely familiar that it feels like home? In many ways my logic disconnected itself from my brain and attached itself to my spirit today.
With each passing mile we encountered Ghanaians wearing hats, playing music, eating food. When I would greet them they simply smiled and said “Obama!.” Obama whose message to Ghanaian Parliament and the people of Africa was more symbolic than tactical has become a powerful unifying force for Africa. I just hope beyond hope that he can facilitate the change that Africa is yearning for. But how can one man from whom we expect so much do enough for Africa or Africa-America? When you visit Africa all the commercials with the sweet, angelic faces of malnourished children dotted with the hollowed eyes of hopelessness begin to find a broader perspective. Kids will play anywhere, in the street, in a polluted river, on a battlefield, meanwhile misery awaits their return. The villages of Ghana are no exception.
After working some angles, I had the profound opportunity to interview the great Rita Marley, who has been a resident of Ghana for years now (video of the interview to come).
Rita had wonderful things to say about the Obama visit to Accra. “The First Family of Reggae” was invited to the White House just a few months ago by the Obamas. When I asked Rita to think of one Marley song that she felt best described the Obama Effect on Africa and the world she said, “Africa Unite.” Rita has invited me to attend her birthday party later this month….wouldn’t miss it for the world! - Toby Thompkins
I learned this morning from my friend Seestah IMAHKÜS Njinga Okofu Ababio, an African American resort owner author of Returning Home Ain’t Easy But It Sure Is A Blessing and Points To Ponder – A Travel Guide, and who loves in Cape Coast, the area where Obama is scheduled to visit on Saturday, that several communities suffered severe damage due to flooding. These are small fishing villages along the coast, The Gulf of Guinea, in Cape Coast and Elmina areas.
It has been raining steadily for several weeks (this is the rainy season). She said that many buildings have collapsed, walls surrounding homes have fallen down and most of these people have nowhere to go. Some of the villages affected are Abakam (Cape Coast), Abana, Atonkwa, Iture and Jaqil (Elmina) to name a few. Seestah IMAHKUS lives in a village called Iture. Members of the local Cape Coast and Accra African Ascendant community are looking for any help and assistance from the African American, Diasporan, and international communities.
According to the Ministry of Information for Ghana, there have been no fatalities and national disaster relief services have been sent to Cape Coast from the diasporan community and international community. When I spoke to a number of Ghanaians today who have heard about this natural disaster, they commented that they feared that the Obama visit to Cape Coast might overshadow the urgent need for help and assistance to the communities. They are waiting to see what President Obama’s response to this unfortunate natural tragedy will be during his visit. I will be heading to Cape Coast later today to cover the Presidential visit.
(AP Photo)
Starting this Friday July 10, EbonyJet.com will be bringing daily coverage of the historic first visit of President Barack Obama to sub-Saharan Africa.
Writer Toby Tompkins will be reporting from the ground in Ghana on the politics of the trip and the culture that makes this visit an important new step in bringing focus to the region. He will be blogging for EbonyJet.com before, during and after the trip, with follow up articles in JET next week as well as the October issue of EBONY.
With the assistance of The Africa Channel and a group of students journalists as well as citizen journalists throughout Ghana, we’ll be offering a visual record of the trip as well in video and photos. Stay with us for the next four days.
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