WONDERS OF THE AFRICAN WORLD: INTO AFRICA WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: THE SLAVE KINGDOMS {PART 3 OF 6} (TV)
Summary
Part three of six. One in this documentary series where educator Henry Louis Gates, Jr. travels around different regions of Africa. In this episode, Gates travels through the regions of Ghana, Togo and Benin in West Africa that once comprised the center of the African slave trade. Gates visits the slave castle at Elmina, Ghana, and is surprised by the candor of the tour guide in relation to the African involvement in the trading of other African people. Gates interviews African-American tourists there about the psychological and emotional impact of the visit to the slave castle and the tour guide's narration. Gates then speaks to a Ghanaian African History teacher about the social and political conditions of the region in the 16th century that facilitated the cooperation between the Europeans and the local kings and chiefs in the trade of African slaves. Next, Gates travels by bus north via the Great Road to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti kingdom. He is welcomed to the compound that houses the Ashanti royal family; a friend who is a minor royal sets up an audience for Gates with the Queen mother. Gates attempts to question his friend about the participation of his Ashanti ancestors in the slave trade. Gates and his friend go to a market in the commercial center of Kumasi where Gates buys Kente cloth to wear at a royal ceremony, which he attends. He also asks the Ashanti king's son whether or not the Ashanti regret their role in the slave trade. Gates then travels to the Republic of Benin, the modern name of the kingdom of Dahomey, notorious for its role in the slave trade. As he makes his way toward the capital Abomey, he discusses the reputation of the kingdom and its kings as violent conquerors, and visits a floating village that was built as a refuge by those fleeing the advancing forces of the king. In Abomey, Gates visits the royal palaces and discusses the violent history of the kingdom -- as depicted in the art on the palace walls -- with the man in charge of the palace's restoration before his audience with the current king. He meets the king and watches the king's ceremonial guards, the Gbeto, sing and dance for their leader and his guests. The last segment of this episode takes place in Ouidah, once the slaving port of Dahomey, and also the religious center for the Voudou religion. Gates visits a market with Martine de Souza who shows him instruments of the religion before bringing him to a Voudou ceremony. Afterwards de Souza, a descendant of the European viceroy of Ouidah, Don Francisco de Souza, brings Gates to the de Souza family compound where Gates questions the family elder about his ancestors' involvement in the slave trade. Later, de Souza walks with Gates along the road that led the slaves to the boats that would take them to the New World; she discusses her feelings of guilt and regret about her ancestors' involvement in the slave trade.
(This joint BBC/PBS production was originally broadcast by the BBC in July 1999.)
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2003.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: October 26, 1999 Tuesday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:75420
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Africa - Civilization; African-American Collection - News/Talk
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jonathan Hewes … Executive Producer
- Ben Goold … Producer
- Katrina Phillips … Associate Producer
- David M. Abraham … Production (Misc.), Series Consultant
- Nicola Colton … Director
- Antonia Hinds … Researcher
- Henry Louis Gates, Jr. … Writer
- Koo Nimo … Music by
- Ayub Ogada … Music by
- Ishmael Pamphille … Music by
- Spirp, Wix, Legwabe … Music by, Theme Music by
- Henry Louis Gates, Jr. … Host
- De Souza, Don Francisco
- De Souza, Martine