Today (23/08/24) is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Established by UNESCO, it memorialises the victims of the slave trade and seeks to amplify the voices of the more than fifteen million men, women, and children who were enslaved.
Today’s date has been chosen as it marks the anniversary of the Haitian Revolution, which began on the night of 22 August 1791. The Haitian Revolution remains an important event: twelve years of fighting culminated in the establishment of the first republic to be led by formerly enslaved people. The uprising in Haiti was a key factor in precipitating France’s decision to outlaw slavery throughout its colonies in 1794. Naturally, the revolution was a source of inspiration for other enslaved people and subsequent campaigning led France to abolish slavery in 1848.
By choosing the anniversary of the outbreak of the Haitian Revolution for the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, UNESCO challenges depictions of enslaved people as helpless. By commemorating this particular revolution, enslaved people are remembered, rather, for their agency and for the fundamental role that they played in bringing about the abolition of slavery. Today, we are encouraged to rethink and challenge traditional narratives, such as those that place Britain, as well as figures such as William Wilberforce, at the epicentre of the abolition movement.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was first celebrated in Haiti in 1998 and then in Senegal in 1999. It serves to highlight the significance of marginalised voices and fosters appreciation of inspirational histories, such as that of the Haitian Revolution. The day likewise celebrates every act of resistance by enslaved people. It therefore aims to protect the virtues of freedom and equality, and to encourage conversation and action in relation to contemporary injustice.