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Ties That Bind Us
Creating a circle of hope between Ghana and the United States
The Concern
In the 1700’s, West Africans were dehumanized and brought to America under conditions of bondage and abuse never to see their families or homeland again. Slave ships landed on the shores of Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Enslaved people were sold to be the property of wealthy plantation owners who used their labor to attain economic wealth. Despite the conditions under which they lived, West Africans used the skills and ingenuity they came with to contribute much more than the development of rice production. They went on to contribute greatly to the fabric of America in other areas such as science, education, medicine, the arts, and literature. They left stories among their descendants that tell of their traumatic experiences and strength to survive. Descendants of enslaved West Africans have carried forward the information about these experiences and have for generations worked to make their way in a society where they started out as property. They are still striving to make their way.
Ties That Bind Us Program
For Project OKURASE, this link between Ghanaians in Africa, people of West African descent in South Carolina and other places in America and nonAfricans is a Tie That Binds Us . We are tied together by a difficult history. We are tied together by a strength derived from immense pain. We are tied together by the arts such as music, dance, visual arts and basketry. We are tied together by a very rich culture. We are tied together by a desire to understand and learn from each other. We are tied together by hope.
Project OKURASE is primarily a project taking place in Ghana that brings together people from all around the world to help in the rural village of Okurase. As people have come to Okurase to help, we have seen the benefits that international visitors themselves actually derive from being in Okurase.