The new slave trade
February 20th 2009 21:59
The Jackson Five
Nigeria is aiming to rocket up the global Desirable Tourism Destination rankings, planning a massive resort complex which will feature never-before-heard of attractions such as a slave history theme park and a Jackson Five museum. It will also feature concert halls, golf courses and casinos.
To be built by American developers and creating 150,000 jobs, total investment is estimated at US$3.4 billion (£2.4 billion).
The Jackson Five connection is due to the involvement in the development of Marlon Jackson, brother of Wacko.
"The Jackson family had been looking for a place to site their memorabilia collection," said Gary Loster, head of the developer, Motherland Group. "We visited the site of the slave port in Badagry and Marlon turned to me and said: 'Let's put it here, this is right'."
Nice word association there Gary.
The development will cater to the country's growing tourism industry, particularly African-Americans tracing their Nigerian roots. The slave history theme park is intended to be a memorial for Africa's former slave trade. Visitors will be able to explore the site of the former transatlantic slave trade which killed hundreds of thousands.
Motherland Group's plans include a lifesize replica of a slave ship, holograms of the Jackson Five and robot versions of 18th-century African musicians.
After that, visitors can play a round of golf or have a massage or ogle in awe the animatronic versions of the siblings who sang ABC.
"It's such an emotional place, and I think we all felt that it was the right place to have the Jackson family memorial," Gary Loster said. Jackson family memorial?
Not everyone agrees. Nigerian historian Toyin Falola said, "It is not appropriate from a cultural or historical point of view. Moneymaking and historical memory are allies in the extension of capitalism. You cry with one eye and wipe it off with a cold beer, leaving the other eye open for gambling."
Gary Loster could could learn something from Toyin Falola about putting words together.
bbc.co.uk, guardian.co.uk; image: Neal Preston/Corbis
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Comment by Janet Collins
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Although Australia didn't "theme park" the whole convict thing, this story reminds me of the period not so long ago when it all of a sudden became fashionable to have a convict ancestor. Prior to that, no-one would have dared admitted to such a thing.
Funny how time seems to change everything.
Comment by Chris Champion
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You remind me of an evening in London having a few drinks with friends, when I good-naturedly called someone a "Pom", and he good-naturedly called me a "shacklefoot", which I thought very funny.
Of course, coming from South Australia, the only Australian colony not started as a convict settlement, I find it hard not to look down on the rest of yuz ...
Comment by Janet Collins
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Chris Champion
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One suspects it will get stranger still before it all comes to pass.