“The legacy of centuries of enslavement, exploitation, and colonial rule reverberates to this day. We must learn and teach the history of slavery: the crime against humanity; the unprecedented mass human trafficking; the unspeakable human rights violations.”— António Guterres

The narrative surrounding slavery and the transatlantic slave trade cuts deep for those of us who are descendants of enslaved people. Undoubtedly, many of the problems being experienced by Caribbean societies are directly related to the scourge of slavery which bombarded these societies for more than 400 years. The legacy of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans continues to reverberate decades after the abolition of slavery.

The United Nations states that the enslavement of over 15 million Africans was driven by the racist ideology that these women, men, and children were inferior because of the colour of their skin. Additionally, countless families were torn apart and scores of human beings lost their lives.

Despite experiencing serious human rights violations and intergenerational trauma over centuries, enslaved people persevered in their resilience, demonstrating courage and defiance against the conditions of enslavement, forced labour, and systemic violence and oppression. March 25 is observed as The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The theme this year is ‘Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education’.

The UN argues that the racist legacy of the transatlantic slave trade reverberates today in harmful prejudices and beliefs which are still being perpetuated and continue to impact people of African descent across the world. Transformative education, which seeks to empower learners to see the social world critically and through ethical lens to challenge and change the status quo as agents of change, is essential to the work of teaching and learning about slavery in order to end racism and injustice and build inclusive societies based on dignity and human rights for all people, everywhere.

The Ark of Return

In 2015 the UN established a permanent memorial to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The memorial is located on the UN Visitors’ Plaza in New York. The monument allows for much reflection and invites people everywhere to contemplate the legacy of the slave trade and fight against racism and prejudice today.

Visitors can pass through the Ark of Return to intimately experience three primary elements. The first element, Acknowledge the Tragedy, is a three-dimensional map that depicts the global scale of the triangular slave trade. The second element, Consider the Legacy, is a full-scale human figure lying in front of a wall inscribed with images of the interior of a slave ship. This element illustrates the extreme conditions under which millions of African people were transported during the Middle Passage. The third element, Lest We Forget, is a triangular reflecting pool where visitors can honour the memory of the millions of souls who were lost. This monument stands as a reminder that the legacy of slavery, including racism and inequality, continues to affect us.

The UN states that some tragedies in human history are so monstrous and of such magnitude that we resolve to commemorate the victims yearly in order to show them the respect that was denied them in their lifetimes and ensure that this will never happen again.

The African Holocaust

The enslavement of African people and its accompanying violence and destruction was one of the catastrophic events in the history of humankind. Known as the African Holocaust or Maafa, it involved numerous European powers, such as England, Spain, Britain, Denmark, and The Netherlands, which were all involved in the trafficking of Africans.

In the British West Indies enslavement was referred to as chattel slavery. This was a system in which the captured Africans and their offspring were enslaved for their lifetime and were the sole property of the owner. The slaves were bought and sold as commodities.

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database produced by David Eltis and his colleagues estimate that between 1626 and 1808 some 3,429 voyages were made to Jamaica, transporting an estimated 1.21 million Africans to work on sugar estates, coffee plantations, wharves, livestock farms, and in households on the island.

According to the UN, there is also much that we do not know. Behind the facts and figures reveal millions of stories of untold suffering. Stories of families and communities ripped apart. We need to share more of these stories of the awe-inspiring courage and defiance of our ancestors against the cruelty of their oppressors. Our students need to hear the stories of Paul Bogle and the countless others who died at the hands of the British.

Jamaica

It is rather fitting that Jamaica, as of this year, has observed the International Day for the Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Slave Trade. The governor general signed a proclamation for the annual observance of the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Trafficking in Enslaved Africans and Chattel Enslavement.

Jamaicans honoured the victims of slavery and the slave trade with a wreath-laying ceremony which took place at the Negro Aroused statue at Kingston Waterfront. The statue, which symbolises the new respect for the freed slave, was created by late sculptor Edna Manley.

Lest We Forget

Unfortunately, slavery has still not ended. Slavery continues in many parts of the world in the form of forced labour, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, or captivity in slavery-like conditions.

In Jamaica it is important that we revisit the notion of making the teaching of history compulsory at the secondary level. Undoubtedly, too many of our students are unaware of their history and have a shallow connection to their ancestral past.

As we commemorate the over 15 million African women, men, and children who suffered the horrors of enslavement, the global community honours their resilience and pays tribute to the millions of others who lost their lives and struggled to uphold the dignity and equality of all human beings.

May this important day continue to be one of deep reflection for the descendants of enslaved Africans throughout the Americas.

In the words of Audrey Azoulay, director general of UNESCO, it is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all and recognise the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual. Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies.

The enslavement of African people and its accompanying violence and destruction was one of the catastrophic events in the history of humankind. Known as the African Holocaust or Maafa, it involved numerous European powers, such as England, Spain, Britain, Denmark, and The Netherlands, which were all involved in the trafficking of Africans.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com.