16 June 2022
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On 23 August 2022, the National Maritime Museum will host a day of free talks, workshops and performances exploring the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies to mark the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
UNESCO marks this date annually to commemorate the day that self-liberated enslaved people on the island of Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) rose up against French colonial rule on 23 August 1791. This revolt was the most successful slave uprising in history and a major step towards the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition stands as a reminder of the bravery, courage, resilience, and determination of enslaved African people who continuously fought for their freedom. The day also raises the contemporary legacies of transatlantic slavery, which are manifested in the continued racism and prejudice against Black and Caribbean communities.
Visitors to the National Maritime Museum will experience a day full of music, games and talks, ending with an emancipation ceremony, in which a procession will depart from outside the Museum to the nearby River Thames, where participants will be able to scatter white petals in reflection and commemoration.
For more information visit the National Maritime Museum website.
ONLINE RESOURCES
‘Seeing Ourselves’ Podcast
Premiering earlier this year, this podcast series featured artist Sharon Walters delving into the Royal Museums Greenwich collections with historian Serena Lee as well as artist and historian Fiona Compton to explore depictions of people of African descent, then sharing their thoughts and feelings towards what they found.
Researching the Lives of Enslaved People
The National Maritime Museum's Caird Library includes documents, manuscripts, books, newspapers, pamphlets, and photographs that together help to understand the history and legacies of transatlantic slavery. This video series follows historian S.I. Martin as he looks into a number of records in the collection relating to enslaved people.
Freedom Fighters: Black Revolutionary Women
Black feminist historian and education activist Stella Dadzie has created two trails focusing on black revolutionary women involved in resisting and campaigning against slavery. These self-guided trails can be used to explore the National Maritime Museum, highlighting the objects, places and people linked to the lives of these extraordinary campaigners.
Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery
In this series of videos, people share their perspectives on how the legacies of transatlantic slavery have shaped the world, focusing on themes such as representation in public spaces, how shared histories connect communities, and challenging inequality.
Images © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London