U.S. first lady Melania Trump visited a former slave holding facility in Ghana on Wednesday as she continues a week-long tour of Africa.

Accompanied by a guide, Trump spent several minutes in a dungeon where African slaves were held before being shipped to the Americas during the 1700s.  Afterward, she told reporters that she will never forget the stories the guide told her and said the experience was “emotional.”

Former U.S. president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama visited the same facility, Cape Coast Castle, during their visit to Ghana in 2009.

Ghana is the first stop on Trump’s tour, which will also take her to Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.

The first lady is using the trip to expand and promote her “Be Best” initiative that focuses on children’s overall well-being.  

Her goodwill tour comes several months after a public firestorm over U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported use of a vulgar term to describe the continent, triggering accusations of racism.

“The trip by the first lady I think will show that Americans, American policy, and the administration are all multi-faceted and are considerably more than two or three tweets,” John Campbell, a senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA.

The Trump administration called for significant cuts in humanitarian aid programs for Africa in its budget proposals, but those cuts were blocked by Congress.

WATCH: Melania’s 1st Day in Africa

 

 

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