MEANING
This segment translates the experience of the initial aspects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade through an interpretation of the corridors, dungeons and ultimately the “Doorway of No Return” of the slave castles located along the western coast of Africa.
The polished black granite walls of the ‘Corridor of No Return’ create a sensation of compression, tension and apprehension.
“The Doorway of No Return” is the sandstone portal which represents fear of unknown transition. The size reflects its importance to the entry of Africans to America.
The lower level will feature 250 square foot black terrace. It will be large enough to seat 300 people for life events like weddings, reunions, concerts or lectures. Engraved in the terrace will be an image of the Little Dipper and the North Star, which guided millions of people to opportunity in the North during and after slavery.
A long corridor will stretch from the terrace to Martin Luther King Drive, symbolic of the long journey to participation in American society in general and Northeast Ohio specifically. The benches right at the walking trails will be places for contemplation, as the future is imagined.
UNTIL VICTORY IS WON
The journey continues from the elevated platform along an elongated ramp bringing to mind marches for civil rights and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s quote which paraphrased the words of abolitionist Rev. Theodore Parker: “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice” as the ramp meets street level. Seating at the end of the ramp surrounding a celebratory fountain is a place for reflection.
THE WATER FEATURE of the monument represents the Atlantic Ocean at the beginning of the journey and North American waterways to freedom such as the Ohio River and the Great Lakes as the journey continues. Falling water at the Emergence Sculpture and celebratory fountain at the end of the sloped walkway augment the notion of African American industry, determination and strength. Water continuity between the extremes of the monument is symbolic of the AAACG motto based on the adage symbolized by the Sankofa bird, an Akan adinkra symbol, “We learn from the past as we live in the present to secure our future”.