Accra, Ghana//More Ghanaians on July 26, 2021 thronged the Accra-based Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) House to participate in the launch of Jeffrey and Shaakira Edison’s maiden book titled-‘The Last Bath’.
The book is which going for GHC20 can be purchased through its publisher-Smartline Limited on (0578611110, and 0578511110); Book Nook (0264339066); Methodist Book Depot (0302662828); and Kingdom Bookshop (0501606960 and 0267073411).
The book authored Jeff and Shakira Edison, an African American couple who have dedicated their lives to awareness about Africa and its Diaspora, is based on a sequential mural painted by artist, OBEH in 2016.
Obeh’s mural is located at the entrance of the “Ancestral River Park” in Assin Manso in the Central Region of Ghana.
The park as described by the authors is “very serene place where the river flows through a groove of bamboo trees”. The Donkor Nsuo River (Slave River) is where captured Africans were finally allowed to stop and take a “last bath” in homeland water.
Sometimes remaining there for days or weeks, they recuperated after trekking hundreds of miles over rough terrain and through rugged bush.
The true story book was launched as part of this year’s PANAFEST celebrations, is a useful reading and learning material for students especial history students, academia, professionals, among others.
Speaking at the launch, Kojo Yankah, Founding President of the Pan-African Museum who was also the Chairman of PANAFEST in the erstwhile Rawlings regime, narrated how “The Door Of No Return” at the Cape Coast Castle was opened wide for the first to receive the caskets of two remains from New York, U.S, and Jamaica and buried them in Assin Manso near the stream.
In his welcome address, Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, the immediate past Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), said the book is a bridge that links many different people and places together into one movement of ideas.
It uses the historical reality and the symbolism of the Last Bath to tell the story of slavery from the African side, employing the full range of emotions and knowledge that goes with this narrative, he explained.
To put it simply, in Shaakira and Jeff’s narration, this story asserts Africa’s history did not begin with slavery.
Jeffrey Edison, co-author and lawyer, expressed gratitude to all those who made the launch of the book happened.
According to him, the book laid bare some of the daunting challenges that their forebears had to go through in the hands of the imperialists.
He added that the book is part of their contribution to telling the story of Africa and urged Africans on the African continent and those in the Diaspora to tell their story themselves.
Launching the book, the Acting Executive Director of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Ivor Agyeman-Duah reminded Ghanaians that they should not forget the roles played by cultural historians in the emancipation struggles.
Proceeds of the book would go to support various programmes that the couple has established in Ghana, namely-the Sakarah Village Water & Food Project; the Bantuma Youth Cultural Literary Exchange; the Family Tradition Enterprise Food and Training programmes; and the Akwaaba Cultural centre.
African Eye Report
