March 25 - International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

March 25th marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

For over 400 years, more than 18 million people, including children, were forcefully removed from Africa to the Americas (including Canada) and Europe. For those who survived the horrific passage, thousands would later perish as a result of the cruel and inhumane ways they were treated and conditions they lived in.[1] Although we often hear about slavery in the context of the United States, African people who were enslaved were brought to Canada from the earliest days of Colonial settlements.

In commemoration and memory of the victims, in 2007, the United Nations established the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and called on member Countries to use the day to promote understanding of the causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade. The day is also meant to recognize the heroic actions of people who were enslaved and abolitionists who lived, resisted, and acted in the face of grave danger and adversity.

On March 25^th, and every day, we recognize and remember:

• the people who suffered, sacrificed, and experienced the horrors of slavery for all of our freedom
• the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade that continue to impact the descendants of victims including ongoing social, cultural, economic and health inequities
• the ongoing existence and potential impacts of racism, prejudice, and inequities
• the resistance and resilience of racialized people, families, and communities
• the modern forms of slavery, forced labour, and human trafficking that people across the World, including in Canada, continue to experience

We encourage community members to learn about the transatlantic slave trade, the challenges people escaping the slave trade faced in our area, and the resilience of racialized and, in particular, people and communities of African heritage who played a large role in shaping Chatham-Kent by visiting:

Buxton National Historic Site & Museum

• Visit the site in-person by appointment or virtually. Learn through online educational resources.

Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society & Black Mecca Museum

• Visit the site in-person by appointment or take a virtual tour. Visit their website to learn more.

Let Us March on Till Victory Is Won: The Struggle for Racial Equity in Chatham-Kent and Ontario Exhibit

• Visit the exhibit in-person at the CK Museum or online.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site

• Visit virtually and learn about local history online.

Learn more about the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade:

UNESCO Slave Route Project

The Ark of Return Memorial

If you have any feedback, questions, or comments about this post, please contact Rebecca Haskell-Thomas rebeccah@chatham-kent.ca or Amrit Khaira amritk@chatham-kent.ca.

[1] United Nations. Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations. Permanent Memorial | International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 25 March (un.org)