Introducing the J-Term in Ghana

A guide discusses origins of Atlantic slave trade at entrance to Male Slave Dungeon, Cape Coast Castle
Photo by Scot French

Ghana J-Term Slideshow

In January, sixteen University of Virginia students traveled to Ghana to participate in a new, intensive ten-day course called, Community as Classroom: Urban Studies and Service Learning in Cape Coast, Ghana. Taught by Professors Maurice Cox (Architecture) and Scot French (History), the cross-disciplinary J-Term course is designed to teach students how to “read” or discern the presence of the past in urban cultural and physical landscapes. Students are introduced to the multi-layered history of Cape Coast, from its origin as a Fante settlement to its establishment as a European trading center on Africa’s “Gold Coast” in the seventeenth century, through the eras of slavery and abolition, colonial rule and independence. During their ten-day course, students work on various collaborative service projects that assist community leaders in preserving their history and making it accessible to a wider public. 

This year, students were able to select from three service-learning projects, all of which drew inspiration from the Conservation and Tourism Development Plan for Cape Coast, developed by community stakeholders over the last eight years in partnership with US/ICOMOS. For example, some students worked on an interior spatial plan for Gothic house, a soon-to-be renovated early nineteenth-century mansion which is slated to become the headquarters for the Oguaa Traditional Council. Others helped create walking tour itineraries for Asafo military shrines, some of which date to the early twentieth century. A third group of students opted to conduct research on “local celebrities,” or figures of importance in Cape Coast history. 

Kristin Clark, a third-year student who is double-majoring in African-American and African Studies and Psychology, offers the following reflections on her experiences:

“For my service-learning project, I chose to work on the Cape Coast Celebrities Project. Our goal was to highlight the lives of three important individuals who have contributed to the history of Cape Coast. We interviewed their descendants and incorporated their stories about their ancestors into the display that we mounted at Heritage House, a center devoted to preserving local and regional history and culture. I found the accounts of the celebrities’ lives and contributions fascinating. All were extremely prosperous and resourceful. One, Jacob Wilson-Sey, was a wealthy palm-wine merchant; John Mensah-Sarbah and Kobina Sekyi were both lawyers who, as representatives of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, defended Ghanians’ land rights during the era of British colonial rule. It was refreshing to meet people who were so friendly and enthusiastic about sharing their history with me. Their excitement was contagious and made me want to learn more — I could have listened to them all day! I am glad that they are taking measures to preserve their history and to make it available to tourists.”

Kristin also observed, “A particularly beneficial aspect of the program was that we were exposed to the religious and cultural diversity in Ghana. I especially enjoyed our visits to the zongo, the Muslim district in Cape Coast. We had an opportunity to interview the chief Imam, whose family welcomed us warmly and talked with us about some of the challenges their community is facing. While in Elmina, we visited a Christian church and a museum dedicated to missionary history. Some of the students also did research on the Asafo shrines, and we participated in a ceremony that included libations and traditional dancing.”

Professors Cox and French anticipate offering “Community as Classroom” again next year.