Visiting Black Star Square, Accra

As a Ghanaian girl, I'm so much in love with our culture, yes I understand that some parts of the world are more advanced in terms of technology and economic systems but we have our traditions and we have peace and I value that so much.

There are so many beautiful spots in our country and one of my favorite is the Black Star Square.

In this photo my siblings where so far off you couldn't even see them. I am usually the one left behind in any of the family trips. Well by family I mean myself and my siblings, Dad and Mom are usually working when we're out, they rarely take vacations.

It’s‍‌‍‍‌ a different kind of experience when you get to Black Star Square and just stand,. perhaps it's just my personal or subjective opinion but so cool a place.

That massive Black Star Square is is not something you can overlook when you get to the are, right in your face. In the center of the Black Star Square, the Black Star Gate is there and it’s that black star which is on the very top that draws your eyes.

Our flag has the star, and the footballers that represents our country Ghana, are called the Ghana black stars.

This place truly is a piece of art to me. But more than an art, that star has a history. It is a history about Africa, Ghana, liberation and probably a lot more than tourists attraction in the simple city of Accra.

The words FREEDOM AND JUSTICE engraved into the rocks represents our history as well, because somebody, a great one, must have fought for those words if at all. There are so many names but Doctor Kwame Nkrumah who led our nation to its independence is someone that can never be forgotten in the nation.

The square is big enough and capable of hosting a lot of people. Yes, if there is a need, it can hold thousands of people. On the Day of Independence, it becomes so overcrowded that it is almost suffocating, very lively and very noisy. Of course this picture was not on the day of independence that's why you don't see that many people around.

On that day, you'll see flags being waved, music played, people shouting. Well it used to be surreal a few decades ago, but sadly for me, this years independence didn't feel the same. It was that lively, most activities are not online so things are so different these days.

Maybe, the Independence Arch and the Liberation Day Monument are a little bit more reserved, but you definitely can’t miss them. Soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the cause are the ones being honored here, even if you did not know their names.

As long as these monuments exist and I believe they'll continue to exist because of what they represent, history will always be acknowledged regardless of the generation.

While I walked pass it the very first time in my life which was quite a while back, I was overwhelmed by the size of the place, but that is not the main thing that remains in my mind. Each and every corner has its own story and you can almost see it through the walls.

You look at the people, the sky above, the monuments, and does remind me of the struggle and hope of those of old.

When you stand just in front of the Black Star Gate, it is quite hard to stop your mind from going off to Ghana, independence, and the manner in which the country walked itself into freedom.

We were taught Ghana was first to gain independence but the accurate history is that Libya was the first African country in the 20th century to gain independence, on December 24, 1951 but in sub Saharan Africa, Ghana was the first to gain independence, on March 6, 1957. So anyways we did make a hell of a history with our independence.