KNUST Sociology And Social Work Students Visit Assin Praso Heritage Site To Trace Ghana’s Slave Route.
Hundreds of students from the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have visited the Assin Praso Heritage Site in the Central Region to retrace Ghana’s slave route and gain first-hand knowledge of the transatlantic slave trade.
The educational tour, led by KNUST lecturer Dr. Kwabena Boateng, formed part of the department’s academic programme to expose students to the realities of the transatlantic slave trade and the gross human rights abuses suffered by millions of Africans beyond classroom learning.
The students toured the historic River Pra crossing, where enslaved Africans were ferried before continuing to Cape Coast Castle for shipment across the Atlantic.
They also visited the mass grave of enslaved Africans and the cemetery of European leaders of the Anglo-Ashanti War, with the contrast between the two burial sites highlighting the discrimination, dehumanisation and severe human rights abuses of the slave trade.
Nana Barfour Adjei X, Krontihene of Assin Praso and Assin Jakai, who guided the tour, explained the pivotal role Assin Praso played as a major transit point during the transatlantic slave trade and stressed the need to preserve Ghana’s historical heritage while promoting human rights, dignity and social justice.
The students described the tour as eye-opening, saying it had deepened their understanding of Ghana’s history, culture and the lasting impact of slavery.
They added that the experience reinforced the importance of preserving the country’s heritage and ensuring such human rights abuses are never repeated.
Story by Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack, Rich FM Assin Fosu.
