At Bimbia, the historic slave port on the Atlantic coast, a symbolic act—walking through the Door of No Return in the opposite direction—becomes a powerful meditation on freedom, dignity, and the indomitable human spirit.
Bimbia: Crossing the Door of No Return… in the Opposite Direction
During my visit to Bimbia, I spent a long time in meditation inside the room that once served as the prison. My mind could not find human words to comprehend the depth of the degradation of humanity that occurred in this place.
At the far end of the room, on the side facing the Atlantic Ocean, stood a door: the Door of No Return. The guide explained that a small boat would come right up to this door, and our chained brothers and sisters were forced into it. This small boat would then carry them to the larger ship that would take them into the unknown.
A Gesture of Deep Symbolic Meaning: Walking Through in the Opposite Direction
In the silence of my meditation, I felt an inspiration. Something inside me said:
“Go and walk through the Door of No Return—but do it the other way.”
So that is what I did.
I made a symbolic journey from the unknown back to the known.
From captivity to home.
From loss to belonging.
I returned home.
During this symbolic crossing, I understood that our bodies can be forced into captivity, but our spirit remains captive only if we allow it.
I returned home.
During this symbolic crossing, I understood that true freedom begins with the freedom of the spirit.
For when the spirit is free, the body will follow.
I came back from Bimbia free.
Free From What?
You may ask, free from what?
Free from:
- dehumanization,
- hatred,
- vengeance,
- injustice,
- evil.
Free.
Completely free.
This is the deepest aspiration of the human heart.
This is the message of Ubuntu:
“I am because we are.”
If you ever visit Bimbia, do not miss the opportunity to cross the Door of No Return in the opposite direction.
If you visit a place of death, make sure you walk out of it a free person.
And you—what do you long to be free from?
What is your approach to accessing true freedom?
Share with us in the comments.
It’s important to know our history to make sure that it doesn’t happen again!
