International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

23 Aug 2024

Reflecting on the legacy and the lessons of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition

Friday, 23 August marks the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.  This awareness day is about honouring the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, recognising its enduring impact, and celebrating the abolition of slavery.

Acknowledging this day of uprising in Saint Domingue (Haiti) against the forced enslavement of millions of Africans, trafficked as commodities denied identity, dignity, and humanity is important in appreciating the wide-felt ramifications of the legacy of the slave trade which continue to exist in the form of racism, structural and global inequalities and bigotry.

The University is dedicated to public engagement and dialogue on the role of slavery in the city's and University's development. Recent examples include the "Founders and Funders: Slavery and the building of a University" exhibition at the John Rylands Library in 2023/24, and the "Cotton Capital: Slavery and The University of Manchester" panel discussion chaired by Professor David Olusoga during the Universally Manchester festival, featuring Guardian journalist Maya Wolfe-Robinson, Professor Uma Kothari, Professor Nalin Thakkar, and University of Manchester History graduate Jeevan Sanghera.

First and Only: Intersectionality, ‘Race’ and Gender in Academia with Professor Dawn Edge

In her powerful inaugural lecture on the intersection of ‘Race and Gender’ and her personal journey, Professor Dawn Edge, the University’s first Black female professor reflects on her origin as a Jamaican descendant of enslaved Africans. 

More information

• The University of Manchester’s Historic links to slavery 
• Founders and Funders: Slavery and the building of a University
• Cotton Capital: Slavery and The University of Manchester