Today, the world observes International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. It is intended “to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. In accordance with the goals of the intercultural project ‘The Routes of Enslaved Peoples,’ it should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean” (UN).
There can be no moral justification for slavery. Today, we reflect on the brutal violation of human rights, due to the forced enslavement and movement of millions of people from Africa to European colonies and plantations. Economic growth at the expense of human misery is scandalous. “For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history” (UN).
Between 1.2-2.4 million Africans died aboard ships when they were transported to various parts of the world to work as slaves.
We must never forget the traumatising/barbaric experience of men, women and children who were packed tightly in ships (men were shackled) and transported across the Middle Passage—a journey which lasted roughly 80 days. “Ship crews packed humans together on or below decks without space to sit up or move around. Without ventilation or sufficient water, about 15% grew sick and died ... In addition to the physical violations enslaved people suffered, they were ripped away from their families, homelands, social positions, and languages” (National Park Service).
Many of us have read eg West African Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography, or have seen films about the inhumane living and working conditions of enslaved Africans in colonised countries eg in sugar cane, cotton and tobacco plantations.
Let’s consider the impact of this history on our modern world, recognise the legacy and contributions of people of African descent, and raise our awareness of current modern slavery and human trafficking issues. Frederick Douglass rightly stated: “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.”
As we remember the work of abolitionists such as William Wilberforce, never forget the struggles of enslaved people for their freedom. Read about the work of eg Harriet Tubman, and about successful resistance/rebellions/revolutions by enslaved people eg in Haiti, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent, St Lucia. See Jacqueline L Scott’s blog: 14 Slave Rebellions in the Caribbean — in Black Outdoors. There were hundreds of rebellions by enslaved people in the Americas.
Although the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in Britain in 1833, as the BBC reminds us in “The abolition of the slave trade in Britain”: “When Britain abolished the practice of enslavement, plantation owners across the British Empire received a share of £20 million, around £17 billion in today’s money, in compensation. In contrast, the newly emancipated people received no compensation and were forced into a new apprenticeship scheme, which tied them to their plantations for up to six further years. In reality, little had changed for enslaved people. They were still expected to work ten-hour days, and punishments such as flogging were still allowed. These apprenticeships were ended in 1838, when emancipation was finally achieved.”
Let’s pray for healing and for God’s mercy for the role of various religions, including the Catholic Church, in the slave trade. In 1985, Pope St John Paul II apologised to Africans for the involvement of Christians in the slave trade: “… we ask pardon from our African brothers and sisters who suffered so much because of the slave trade …”
On July 10, 2015, during a speech in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Pope Francis apologised and asked for forgiveness for the “‘grave sins’ committed by the Church during the colonial era.”
On February 9, 2006, at the Anglican Church’s general synod in London, the Archbishop of Canterbury issued an apology “for the Church’s complicity in sustaining—and profiting hugely—from the trade.”
“It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to 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.” (Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO).
Let’s honour the memory and the indomitable human spirit of the millions of victims of transatlantic slavery and become advocates for justice, as we seek to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking.
