The civil rights struggles in the United States and the end of colonialism in Africa came at the same time and naturally the movements dovetailed.
In 1957, the Kings went to Ghana in West Africa to attend its independence ceremony from Britain, according to the King Encyclopedia at Stanford University. In the capital of Accra, he met then-Vice President Richard Nixon, among others.
His first overseas trip, Ghana a profound effect on King. Upon his return to the United States, he said, "Ghana has something to say to us. It says to us first, that the oppressor never voluntarily gives freedom to the oppressed. You have to work for it."
Before the pandemic, Ghana was emerging as a prime tourist destination not just in West Africa but the entire continent. It is open to US visitors. While many people come for the beaches, wildlife and food, it also holds important historical sites.
That includes Cape Coast Castle, which was a hub of the transatlantic slave trade. A visit there is a somber reminder of centuries of oppression and its ramifications during MLK's time up to today. Victoria Road, Cape Coast, Ghana, +233 024 587 3117
