Today was International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition as established by UNESCO
(UN agency). Also, did you know, we are in the middle of the UN’s International Decade for People of African Descent? More on the topic in my next post.
The focus of today, 23 August 2021, was, as stated by UNESCO: “…is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. In accordance with the goals of the intercultural project ‘The Slave Route’, it should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.”
Albeit a citizen of the USA, I want to point out that abolition occurred first in the United Kingdom (including Canada) and Mexico. Passage ways, The Underground Railroad, of escape to freedom led to Canada and Mexico.
As people working in the field of career development, around the world, it is vital we realize our responsibility to be culturally knowledgeable and sensitive to all our students and clients. For the people we serve who are the children, some generations removed, from the people who endured deep suffering from the transatlantic slave trade, we have many opportunities to honor their hope. The hope is not just their own but that of their ancestors who endured. We have the responsibility to do our best. We can’t undo the past, but we can ensure the bright outcomes for their future through our work. More to come:
SDG 8 and SDG 16
