As two very instrumental pieces in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles hold a barrage of perpetually relevant memories and emotions for locals, West African diasporans, and other visitors. "From the white walls" is a narrative examination of the history of both castles, located in the Central Region of Ghana, what they have signified in the past, what they now signify, and what they can contribute to the exigent construction of a positive identity of strength for all descendants of the formerly enslaved Africans.
This piece engages notions from Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic philosophy described in Time and Narrative, Orlando Patterson's Slavery and Social Death, Frank B. Wilderson's Afro-pessimism and George Simmel's Bridge and Door.
The lyric video above is for "Akwaaba," an original song featured in "From The White Walls." The song was written by Nii Okai Andrew, performed by Maame Aba Afful, and produced by Frederick Ntiri.