International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade serves as a reminder of the horrific human rights violations that occurred during the period of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. As a global society, this Observance seeks not just to remember those who suffered and died, but also to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today. It is a day grounded in the premise of education, reparation, and reconciliation, aiming to educate future generations about the consequences of such historical atrocities.

This Observance has a significant resonance with South Africans due to the South African history marked by dispossession, racial segregation and economic exploitation under apartheid. The transatlantic slave trade saw an estimated 15 million African people, including South Africans, forcibly relocated to serve as labor in the Americas and European colonies between the 15th and 19th centuries. This Observance seeks to commemorate those South Africans, highlighting the connection to a larger, international narrative of struggle against racial inequality and human rights abuse.

In South Africa, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is typically marked by various local and national activities. These often include educational events, cultural performances, and memorial services, held in museums, schools, and other public spaces. South Africans are encouraged to participate and use these opportunities to both remember the victims and to educate themselves further about the significant impact of slavery on their history. The day is observed annually on March 25th.

Facts about Victims of Slavery & the Transatlantic Slave Trade

• The theme for International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 2025 was Honoring Memories, Fostering Resilience, in 2024 it was Creating Global Freedom: Countering Racism with Justice in Societies and Among Nations, and in 2023 Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education.
• According to walkfree.org, in 2023, there are about there about 49.6 million people living in modern slavery, most of them children
• According to the Borgen Project, about 68% of enslaved people are trapped in forced labor. Industries like agriculture, textile, chocolate, and mining are most likely to have slave laborers.
• The Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, became a significant stopover point for European ships engaging in the slave trade. The Dutch East India Company established a supply station there in 1652 which eventually grew into Cape Town.
• The emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1833 brought about the end of slavery in South Africa. However, this was followed by a system of apprenticeship, in which former slaves were bound to their masters for an additional four years.

In the News and Trending in South Africa for International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Top things to do in South Africa for this observance

• Watch a Film to learn more about Transatlantic Slave Trade in South Africa:
  Amistad (1997) - A film by Steven Spielberg that depicts a slave revolt on the Spanish ship, La Amistad. The film sheds light on the transatlantic slave trade.
  Roots (1977) - This mini-series is an adaptation of Alex Haley's novel, Roots, and it traces the ancestry of the author back to Africa and covers his descendants in the USA as slaves.
• Read a book to learn more about Transatlantic Slave Trade in South Africa:
  The Slave Trade: The Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440 - 1870 - by Hugh Thomas.
  Africans and the Industrial Revolution in England: A Study in International Trade and Economic Development - by Joseph E. Inikori.