PWithin these macabre pages, the slave trade stands out as one of humanity’s most cruel episodes, marking a gaping wound in the fabric of our collective consciousness.
Every year, on March 25, the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade reminds us with merciless solemnity of the untold suffering endured by millions of men, women and children for more than four centuries.
The icy silence of oblivion often seems to cover this tragedy, relegating broken lives, broken families and dashed hopes to the background.
However, the duty to remember requires us to confront the horrors of the past, to face the monster of history in order to better understand the persistent scars that mark our present.
The numbers alone, although disturbing, are not enough to explain the scale of this human catastrophe. Estimated at more than 15 million individuals for the transatlantic slave trade alone, the number of lives destroyed by this abomination is incredible.
Historians differ on the exact numbers, but regardless of the variations, each number represents a stolen soul, an existence broken by greed and barbarism.
António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, rightly emphasized the importance of this day of commemoration: “This day is an opportunity to remember and honor the millions of Africans who were trafficked and brought into slavery. Those who organized and managed the transatlantic slave trade amassed vast fortunes, while “slaves were deprived of education, health care, opportunity, and prosperity.”
According to the head of the UN, “this laid the foundation for a system of violent discrimination based on white supremacy that still resonates today. “Today and every day we reject the legacy of this horrific crime against humanity,” he said, calling for a restorative justice framework to be established to overcome centuries of exclusion and discrimination.
He eloquently recalled the courage of millions of enslaved Africans and their relentless struggle for freedom in a world where their humanity was denied.
Guterres’ voice resonates as a call to action, a moral demand for justice and redemption for those whose cries have been silenced by the chains of oppression.
It highlights stories of resistance and courage, those of queens and kings, warriors and mothers, who refused to bend under the unbearable weight of slavery.
But the commemoration cannot be limited to a simple historical retrospective. It must be a catalyst for deep reflection on the roots of racism and discrimination that still exist today.
This is why Omar Zniber, president of the Human Rights Council, calls for the dismantling of the structures of oppression and inequality that continue to marginalize and oppress the descendants of the victims of slavery.
It calls for collective action to break the invisible chains of discrimination and hatred, to recognize the suffering of past generations in order to build a future based on the dignity and respect of every individual.
Psychological trauma
The slave trade left deep scars in the social and psychological fabric of Africa and its diaspora. Aimé Charles-Nicolas, eminent professor of medicine and medical psychology and psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of Antilles-Guiana, finely describes, in an interview given to the French website La Vie, the psychological trauma caused by centuries of dehumanization and brutality.
It highlights the lasting legacy of racial hierarchy, a wound that continues to bleed in societies marked by slavery.
Yet despite the horror of the past, there remains a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of resilience that refuses to fade.
A statement from the United States Department of State, voiced by Antony J. Blinken, testifies to this desire to recognize the injustices of the past and to work toward a future in which every individual is treated with equality and respect.
“Race-based inequalities, discriminatory practices, racial injustice, and many other contemporary global challenges have their roots in historical crimes, including the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, colonial exploitation on the African continent, and the brutal dehumanization of Africans and their descendants over the centuries. “, he condemned, adding that “we recognize the ongoing and systemic difficulties faced by people of African descent and affirm our desire to work in partnership with the international community to promote the fight against racism, discrimination and anti-black xenophobia, in our country and in the rest of the world .
Hence, it is important to remember that we give this International Day of Remembrance to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade a much greater resonance.
To remember means to honor the victims, but it is also to take a stand for a better future, in which the light of justice illuminates every dark corner of our humanity.
Remembering means healing the wounds of the past, building a future where humanity triumphs over inhumanity, where justice and equality are the foundations on which our societies rest.
D. William
Related Posts
Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations at American Universities: The Gaza War Compared to the Vietnam War
In the UN, member states, including Morocco, symbolically vote for the membership of Palestine – Telquel.ma
