Her husband is apparently the descendant of slave owners on his mother's side, and possibly on his father's side, too, if he's got any Arab ancestry there.

The slavery issue is a universal one, as all races have been slave owners. Europeans were enslaved by multiple invaders. Native Mesoamerican empires such as the Aztecs and Mayas held slaves. Ancient China had millions who were effectively slaves at the beck and call of the emperor. Africans enslaved each other, and still do.

Considering that the black population in the US has steadily grown since they were first brought over, their experience here has been, on balance, a positive one for their group. The average AA is certainly much better off than your average modern African.

It is extremely sad and ridiculous that the 7 guys had to kill the Florida couple just to rob them. They could have gotten what they wanted and left without harming anyone. I hope they all get the death sentence! I do hope that the family can keep all of those children together and not have to separate them. They've been through enough.

Cooper's interview with Obama was OK. I got more out of the first part though but I did enjoy the scenery in the walk around the castle.

Didn't someone in Anderson's family own someone in Michelle's family? That's what I heard. Guess we'll find out tonight huh?

Cindy..Ga.

Anderson, you continue to do outstanding work!!!
Thanks for your very poingnant interview with President Obama in Cape Coast Castle. Thank you for bringing to light slavery as it is something that is part of American History and should be spoken about not hidden. You are truely a people's reporter!!!!

While it's paramount for anyone to embrace their roots and ancestry, it would be interesting to hear what Michelle Obama has done to help her two daughters embrace their white heritage.

Hi, my name is Isaac Mensah, I'm a Ghanaian but I live in Montreal Canada. Basically, I was so excited when I watched you interviewing Obama in Ghana. As a matter, you did a very good job and Ghanaians all over the wolrd are proud of Ghana as having the first black president of United Stated visiting Ghana. And we are all proud of CNN and CNN crews. God bless you all.

@Mike in NYC "The average AA is certainly much better off than your average modern African."

Very true, although you'd never know it from Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton's comments There doesn't appear to be a big line of people wanting to return to Africa. You also won't hear much from US balck leadership on the role that Africans played in enslaving other africans. It's too bad the segments on AC360 ignored the fact that most of the Africans taken from Africa to the Americas were enslaved by African kingdoms near the coast and then traded to Europeans for goods from Europe or America. Hence the term 'slave trade'. Most Europeans did not venture into the interior for fear of disease. Technologically superior cultures have typically enslaved the less advanced, and victors in battle often enslaved the losers throughout history. It's only in the US that a race connotation has been applied.

I understand about the slaves. My Gr.Gr. Grandfather was in the civil war on the confederate side. And I have been researching my ancestry and he was born in Mississippi in 1840. But his father owned one slave on the 1810-1840 censuses. But I did not aquire their beliefs. The only problem is on those censuses they were not even considered a human being they were considered to be property. And on the 1850 census they at least gave them names but usually the last names of their owners. I understand how Michele would feel going there. She could probably feel their spirits while she was there. I can feel the spirits of the holocaust victims when I watch a documentery on them and what they must have went through.

Yes it is true that people have been enslaved since Adam, and unfortunately slavery still exists in certain parts of the world. However the staggering number of slaves transported during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the distance involved as well as the evidence of those harsh conditions even after these centuries, are mind boggling and bone chilling. Thanks Anderson Cooper for sharing this experience with the rest of us.
I hope more will be done to stop modern day slavery and human trafficking now so that future generations will not judge us.

I would like to comment briefly in the speech of Pr. Obama in Ghana. PR.Obama starvation, war, poverty, and anti democratic power in africa which are keeping Africa late economiy wise.But what Obama does not mention how come a poor continent devasted by war manage to buy arms????If the occidendant and the usa is not behing these wars taking place in Africa these wars would have not last. The occident always blame africa for anti democratic gorverment are most of the time behing these wars.When occident sees that a president in a country of Africa does not arrange them they just try to find a few people in africa and give them the means to get rich and come agaisnt the goverment in place in order to change order.and this Obama didn t mention that in his speach.Of course the future of Africa are on africans hands but occident need also to play real in that situation by arming to change the order and do what they want.This is what is calls economic slavery.....

Looking forward to Joe Johns report on Michelle's genealogical tree and how he went about it. I am also interested in hearing from the police investigating the murder of the Florida couple. If the crime was just a planned robbery I don't see why they would have killed the couple unless the couple was fighting with them. I read on one of the other blog posts that 3 of the children may have seen what happened – I really hope that is wrong because that would be hard to come to grips with for the rest of your life.

Looking forward to tonight's show!!