I believe that an important part of understanding a culture and immersing oneself into a community is to learn about the history and the story that is told with that history. While we have learned about Senegal in the post colonial sense, today we had the opportunity to learn about a deeper history that is not an easy one to face. We went to Gorée Island which was a short ferry ride off the coast of Dakar.
Gorée Island was used to hold and send captured Africans on boats that would leave them with a life of slavery. We got to see the house of slaves, and the chambers in which they were confined to. Dr. Cheikh explained to us the suffering and dehumanization millions of people went through, while we were standing in the very place it occurred. We then went to what is known as “the door of no return”, where those enslaved went through to board the boats, for a life that would never be the same for them and the generations to come.
Witnessing this place of cruelty and dehumanization made me feel angry and sad, but the lesson learned from seeing it goes further than being sad about it. Dr Cheikh and all of us discussed how we view this place of remembrance and honor, and how that view is important to the narrative this island can create. We discussed the negative light that can be shown when tourists come, take selfies, and feel sad, but then move on. There is more to the story here and I think we all realized that today. As we were talking, we noticed many tourists talking loudly and taking pictures in certain areas that were sensitive, and it hit me hard. The disrespect that I saw is exactly what Dr. Cheikh was telling us about, and I can see why they want the narrative to shift. This conversation needs to go further then feeling sad and taking selfies, it is about honoring and remembering the millions of Africans who lost their lives, and taking that a step further past the time you leave Gorée Island. Sharing this experience is a way we can all help retell the story in remembrance, and in turn have bigger social shifts. I hope that discussing the issue of slavery and how their culture, identity, families, and lives were ripped from them can lead to a greater change in fighting the current issues of discrimination and explotation. This island is a symbol that is one to be remembered and honored, in ways that go way further than a selfie.
While the morning on Gorée was hard and heavy, we had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the English Club from Thiorye, who welcomed us with open arms! We ate lunch, played Senegalese and American games, and explored the rest of Gorée Island with them! The day with them was amazing and we gained a Senegalese family! They gave us all Senegalese names and we gave them English names! It was comical but also a way to connect with each others cultures. We helped build each other up in our native languages in the name of Senegalese solidarity. This has made our stay more meaningful here in Senegal, being that we now have a family here. We will continue to see them throughout the rest of our time here in Senegal and we look forward to keeping these connections when we arrive home in the US!
-Katie Tota
Senegal: Culture and Service 
Bonne Année! Happy New Year! I am so glad to see how well the trip appears to be going, after a few complications related to the departure. I am thoroughly jealous of all you are getting a chance to experience! Continue to make the most of every day there. P. Vantine
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Bonne année! Happy New Year! I am so glad to see that you appear to be having a great time. I am thoroughly jealous of all that you are getting a chance to experience in Senegal. Continue to make the most of every day there!
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Katie, this was such an important day of the trip for so many reasons. It’s important to face Gorée Island’s history, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us, because history is where we can find answers to why things are happening in the present and it serves as a reminder for a better future. This day was a strange day because there was so much sorrow, but so much joy in one place. The whole island felt haunting because of its dark past, but it was beautiful to form new connections with wonderful people. -Delaney
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This was such a powerful trip, and I am so appreciative we had the opportunity to go and see it. As hard as it was to be able to face the harsh reality of the past, being at the Island made that history so much more real, and help me to empathize even more with the enslaved Africans that went through that island even more than I ever thought I could. Goree Island offered a strange contrast between the beauty of the island itself and the horrors of the past, but I think that it helped me to frame my way of thinking and of reflection for the rest of the trip.
Lindsey Duquette
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Goree was a very special moment on this trip. Such a beautiful island with a difficult history. Learning the history and what happened to thousands of people is important, and necessary to develop in a positive context.
-Leland
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The fact that our group felt the heaviness of Goree Island and really interacted w/ the historical context embodies both why it’s important to learn about such things and how we made the most of the opportunity. The way the visit was designed allowed us to comprehend the vastness of the situation, including its implications and place ourselves in the shoes of those who actually experienced it. Because of this, I agree that it was one of the most important experiences of the trip and will let us go forward with the knowledge required to go forward deliberately in the present societal context.
—Mike D
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It is crazy to think that such a beautiful island had such a sorrowful history, however we should also note how Africans from all over Africa were able to liberate themselves and had so many great victories in history. The other part of our experience in Gorée with the english club was so significant in our lives because of our instant connection to them.They were the friendliest most welcoming people I am sure many of us have ever met, and we cannot be thankful enough for spending time with them.
-Sam G.
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