Unique African Heritage Tour Literally Retraces The Footsteps Of The Enslaved Africans And Will Approach The Slave Trade From The African Side
The First Annual Roots Recovered Reverse Middle Passage Tour & Forgiveness Ceremony will take place at Republic of Benin West Africa (Kingdom of Dahomey) March 23 to April 1, 2006.
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 19, 2005 -- The First Annual Roots Recovered
Reverse Middle Passage Tour & Forgiveness Ceremony was conceived from the
same elements that caused the authors, James White and Jean Gontran Quenum, to
write the acclaimed African heritage travel book titled "Roots Recovered The How
To Guide For Tracing African-American and West Indian Roots Back To Africa and
Going There For Free Or On A Shoestring Budget." "Roots Recovered" was written
in response to the authors’ frustration with some people of African descent’s
peculiar questions and negative perceptions about Africa.
The book has
received rave reviews since its release in January 2004 and was featured on the
Tavis Smiley Show on NPR Radio, CN-8 News, "Africa meets Africa" Pacifica Radio;
on WHUR, "The Caribbean Experience"; and on Radio One and WKGO Radio on the
number-one rated travel talk show "John Hamilton On the Go." The book was
selected for the DiverCity Book of the Month Club, as well as featured in: The
University of South Florida Africana Heritage website; the Boston Globe; and
many other publications. However, not all of the book’s attention has been
positive. During the many tours and speaking engagements many people of African
descent say "those African people don’t like us" and "they are the ones that
sold us into slavery, why do I want to go back over there?" Out of these
statements The First Annual Roots Recovered Reverse Middle Passage Tour &
Forgiveness Ceremony was born. The authors White and Quenum teamed up with elite
traveler and entrepreneur Camille Howard to plan this tour. White says that Ms.
Howard has years of experience in international travel that brings
sophistication to the tour. White says that he, and co-author Quenum "know how
to bring you to Africa on a shoestring budget and Ms. Howard knows how to bring
you there with style."
White said that the Republic of Benin was
primarily chosen because the President of Benin, the Honorable Mathew Kerekou
admitted his country’s part in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and sought
reconciliation and forgiveness from the descendants of that horrific crime
against humanity, through a formal conference held in Republic of Benin in 1999.
White said, "I was deeply moved by the actions of President Kerekou but I was
saddened by the fact that not many people on this side of the world knew about
his actions or knew about the country of Benin."
The Republic of Benin
was also chosen because it was known as the "slave coast" and its coastal city
Quidah was the slave capital of Africa and slaves from several countries passed
through this town. Benin also is the home of some very unique historical sites
that rival, and sometimes exceed the better-known African Heritage destinations
such as Senegal and Ghana.
White says that "Benin is not well known but
has some very interesting history and many sites, as it pertains to African
history and slavery," such as the city of Allada which is the birthplace of
Toussaint L’Ouverture, the founder of Haiti. Ganvie, which is an entire village,
built on poles in the middle of a huge lake by people escaping slave raiders.
The village of Quidah, which has the slave route, that is marked with numerous
monuments, down to the great arch at the edge of the ocean called the Point of
No Return, as well as the Temple of the Pythons with live snakes roaming
freely." The highlight of the tour will be the Forgiveness Ceremony and
Conference. For those interested, optional DNA testing to trace your roots can
be obtained from African Ancestry prior to the trip.
To reserve your
place contact Palace Travel, "The African Travel Experts" at 800-683-7731 or
215-471-8555 or online at www.palacetravel.com. For more information about the tour send
e-mail to e-mail protected from spam bots For information about traveling and
tracing your roots to Africa go to www.rootsrecovered.com
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb262788.htm