It was a somber visit for the first lady.
It was a somber day for first lady Melania Trump as she toured a castle in Ghana that in was once used for trading slaves.
She walked through the dungeons of the 17th century Cape Coast Castle, where thousands of Africans were held in captivity before being placed on ships centuries earlier.
As part of the tour, the firs lady passed through the "door of no return," where the slaves boarded ships that would take them across the Atlantic to America. She placed a wreath at the site and paused for a moment of silence.
“[The] dungeon is really something that people should see and experience. What happened so many years ago is really a tragedy,” she said after the visit. “It's very emotional. I will never forget [the] incredible experience and the stories that I heard."
The first lady also toured Obama Hall, named after former President Obama, where she met with local traditional ruler Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II.
The Obama family also toured the Cape Coast Castle during their 2009 visit. It was one of the first international trips the then-president took after being sworn in.
“As painful as it is, I think that it helps to teach all of us that we have to do what we can to fight against the kinds of evils that, sadly, still exist in our world, not just on this continent but in every corner of the globe,” he said after his tour of the dungeon.
The first lady is on her first solo trip as first lady and landed in Ghana Tuesday. She will also be touring Kenya, Malawi and Egypt during her weeklong visit to the continent.
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