This summer, Liverpool will mark Slavery Remembrance Day on 23 August 2024.
It was 25 years ago (1999) that Liverpool first coordinated official commemorative events to mark the date, recognised around the world as a day to remember the millions of lives impacted by, and the lasting legacies of, the transatlantic slave trade.
Over the past two and half decades, there have been many different events, speakers and activities to mark the occasion in the city. Each year, the main purpose is the same; to bring people together to pay their respects and honour the memory of the enslaved Africans and their descendants.
From new artist commissions to a lecture in Liverpool’s Town Hall, to workshops and the annual walk and libation ceremony, this special anniversary year brings a varied programme of free events for everyone to feel involved:
• Walk of Remembrance, Friday 23rd August, 12 noon. This year’s walk has been extended and will include Williamson Square, Clayton Square, Bluecoat and finally Liverpool One, offering more opportunities to reflect at key landmarks. Along the route there will be an opportunity to hear from influential voices and enjoy live musical performances in partnership with Africa Oyé. The walk will culminate with a libation ceremony at 2.30pm near the Canning Quayside and Dry Docks.
• The Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Memorial Lecture, Thursday 22 August, 5.30pm, Liverpool Town Hall. Photographer, artist, filmmaker, public speaker and historian, Fiona Compton, will be delivering the keynote speech. Fiona explores the complexities of identity, heritage and social injustice. Her work surrounds self-empowerment and challenging representation.
• Health, Medicine and Transatlantic Slavery: Curatorial Workshop, Tuesday 20 August, 2pm, Maritime Museum. Concentrating on artefacts connected to the history of medicine and transatlantic slavery, this workshop contemplates the contemporary health inequalities experienced by Black communities. The workshop will invite members of the public to help shape future displays at the International Slavery Museum.
• CSIS Symposium: Space and Place – Building on the Past, Wednesday 21 August, 2pm, University of Liverpool. Curators, scholars, and community-based knowledge makers will reflect on the buildings and spaces connected to the representation of slavery and its legacies. Discussions led by Dr Richard Benjamin, Senior Lecturer for Contemporary Museum Practice, Professor Ola Uduku, Head of School at the Liverpool School of Architecture, and Mike Boyle, Liverpool historian and author of ‘Liverpool Black Heritage: From Granby to Pitt Street’, will focus on how past experiences and new practices can inclusively and equitably shape future museum design and development.
• New creative commissions. In 2023 National Museums Liverpool commissioned three artists (Ean Flanders, Nali Simukulwa and NikNak) to respond to Slavery Remembrance Day. For 2024 work by three new artists will join this digital archive: neo soul musician, Ni Maxine, has created a mix that touches on themes of home, identity and belonging from a Black British perspective; photographer, Anthony Wild shot portraits of local young people, to highlight the growing number of different cultures that encompass Liverpool, and Claire Beerjeraz has produced a poetry piece that reflects on their relationship to natural elements such as water, exploring how a historically oppressive past has harmed these connections as they look for healing.
Artist, Fiona Compton said:
“As keynote speaker for Slavery Remembrance Day in Liverpool, I stand on the shoulders of ancestors whose voices were silenced. We reclaim those voices, weaving them into the tapestry of remembrance and resilience. Let us confront the shadows of history with courage, and illuminate a path forward guided by justice, empathy, and solidarity.”
Michelle Charters OBE, Head of International Slavery Museum said:
“25 years since the city’s first Slavery Remembrance Day, it continues to be an important moment in our busy city to pause and remember the many lives impacted by this abhorrent trade, as well as the legacies and achievements of people of the African diaspora.
“We are looking forward to a very special contribution from Fiona on this significant year, as we mark not only the 25th anniversary of our commemorations, but also look to the future and the next chapter for the International Slavery Museum. We have recently shared our vision for the museum in a series of rewarding public consultations. Listening, sharing and collaboration has given the project new momentum, and as we come together once more to mark Slavery Remembrance Day, we are grateful to all the people who are on this journey with us.
“This year’s Slavery Remembrance Day takes place in the wake of distressing acts of violence, hatred and racism seen across the UK this summer, demonstrating the timely and vital need for discussion and understanding between the city institutions alongside the black community and organisations that were directly affected by the riots and who will lead on the response and call for change.”
Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, said:
“Twenty-five years ago the City Council righty apologised for its shameful role in the transatlantic slave trade – publicly putting on record our commitment to remembering, educating and fighting against racism and inequality.
“Slavery Remembrance Day has now become a significant date in our cultural calendar, a time when we can reflect on this remorseful part of our heritage and honour the memory of those enslaved Africans who suffered and died.
“We are extremely proud of our partnership with National Museums Liverpool and International Slavery Museum, and through our collaboration we can champion social cohesion and human rights for all. We encourage as many people as possible engage with this year’s diverse, thought-provoking and engaging programme of activities.”
Designated by UNESCO, Slavery Remembrance Day (23 August) marks an uprising of enslaved Africans on the island of Saint Domingue (modern Haiti) in 1791. The date now serves as a reminder that enslaved Africans were the main agents of their own liberation.
Liverpool was the European capital of the transatlantic slave trade, responsible for half of Britain’s trade. The ships set sail from Liverpool with goods and franchise, which were exchanged for enslaved men, women and children on the west coast of Africa, who were then taken across the Atlantic on a horrendous journey known as ‘The Middle Passage.’ Slavery Remembrance Day acknowledges this major period of trauma and injustice in world history which has all too often been forgotten – or not even acknowledged.
Each year National Museums Liverpool invites a speaker to deliver the prestigious Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Memorial Lecture. Previous speakers have included: Mr Martin Luther King III, award-winning film director Amma Asante, renowned activist and scholar Dr Maulana Karenga, civil rights campaigner Diane Nash, Zimbabwe’s first Black cricketer Henry Olonga, poet Lemn Sissay, author and musician Akala, historian, David Olusoga and playwright, author, critic and broadcaster, Bonnie Greer.
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