By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Today, Aug. 23, is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, which has been “designated by UNESCO to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.[1] ”
On this year’s anniversary occasion of the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, which is held every year on August 23, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said,“Victims of atrocities and freedom fighters across history can inspire future generations to build just societies.”
UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said, “It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual.”
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized while today is a day to reflect on the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, and its Black victims, it must be remembered, that because of the continuation of modern slavery, “the fight is not over.”
“Modern slavery persists,” Mohammed stated. “Let’s confront injustice, past and present and uphold the dignity and rights of every person.”
The United Nations notes that “For its part, the UN works towards these goals, including through its Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, established in 2007.
“On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in then Saint Domingue, now Haiti, saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
“Against this background, the International Day is commemorated around the world. It was first celebrated in a number of countries, including in 1998 in Haiti and in 1999 on Gorée Island in Senegal, where millions of enslaved people had been forced onto ships to cross the ocean.
“Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies,” UNESCO’s Ms. Azoulay said.
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