Marking August 23 – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Every year, we pause on the 23rd of August and reflect upon our shared and dark history of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
One of the greatest crimes against humanity till date has been the transatlantic slave trade. It is not just a reference to a dark period in human history, but the reality that we still continue to live with its shameful legacies. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed those legacies, including racism, inequality, and systemic racism of people of African descent across the globe.
This year, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation marked August 23 with a webinar titled Recognizing Slavery’s Legacy of Racism in the Time of COVID-19.
A Fireside Chat featuring Chiamaka Mọgọ, Board Member, Canadian Race Relations Foundation & Public Policy Professional and Natasha Henry, President, Ontario Black History Society
To mark August 23 as a day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, Chiamaka and Natasha discussed this shameful legacy and focused on how COVID-19 has exacerbated the social, political, economic and health conditions that are linked to structural racism, thereby causing people of African descent to suffer disproportionately.
Drawing clear links between the transatlantic slave trade and on-going structural racism faced by the Black community, the panelists also discussed what we can do to eradicate anti-Black racism and promote equity for this community.
This webinar was held on August 22, 2020, 1 – 2 PM EST. A recording of the webinar can be found here.