After a considerable amount of misdirection and encounters with authorities we came across the King of Badagry. After paying homage to him, he provided us with accurate directions, and asked for help bringing medical care to this remote area. We then crossed several kilometers of sand dunes in a 4-wheel drive pick-up truck in the rain.

The site was desolate, beautiful, and somber. Rain leaked into the monument and onto the stairs up to the overlook of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet this view was inaccessible to its visitors, barricaded by cinder blocks—a result of its abandoned construction. “The Point of No Return” is a monument of significance not only for Nigeria, but also for the people of Memphis, Tennessee, where I am from, and the rest of the world. It is a place for the entire world to remember the evils of slavery and that its consequences have still not been brought to resolution. This is truly an international monument.