Teacher Statement: Although every day of my TEA-IREX exchange offered me a new meaningful and enlightening experience, nothing impacted me more as a teacher and indeed a human being than my exploration of the slaving forts of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle. A veteran educator in both U.S. History and African Studies, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is a cornerstone of my annual curriculum due to its historical significance in both subject areas. My visits to the slaving forts, however, improved my understanding of this period in human history significantly. Moreover, the opportunity to explore these historic landmarks with my Ghanaian colleagues and to engage in collaborative discourse with them in order to share our own experiences, perceptions, historical knowledge and teaching practices led me to realize that one of the most effective ways of building U.S.-Ghana connections may indeed lay in its early beginnings—the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Thus, I have developed a comprehensive unit for U.S. teachers that emphasizes this relationship from its origins to its lasting impact on Africans and African-Americans alike.
