International Slavery Remembrance Day 2021

Interesting day at the National Maritime Museum marking International Slavery Remembrance Day.

Starting with a welcome ceremony with songs from Ethnovox and addresses from the director of the museum Paddy Rogers and the acting High Commissioner of Dominica there was lots to see and do. Movingly this also included a minutes silence for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti as the date of the day is that of the start of the Haitian Revolution.

I chose to go to the talks on offer so heard Stella Dazie talk about her book on female slave activism talking to Karen McLean an artist and scholar. They talked about quiet female resistance partly coming from their knowledge of plants and herbs as well as character who resisted in a more obvious way.

I then heard historian S.I. Martin discuss the Haitian revolution and how it’s ideas spread. It was a knowledgeable audience but I could have done with a bit more on the history of the uprising. With both talks, given the speakers were there for Q&A sessions, that they had done the talks live rather than rely on a precorded zoom.

Finally I joined the Emancipation Ceremony where we gathered outside the museum and walked down to the river where S.I. Martin said a few words then we threw rose petals onto the water in remembrance of those affected by slavery. He reminded us that over 3000 slave ships set sail from London and, of course, West India Quays is named as a result of that trade.

 

 

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