Remembrance and reflection: the slave trade’s legacy in the face of August 2024 racial violent disorder

The Wilberforce Institute's Wiseman Khuzwayo Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Ndiweteko Jennifer Nghishitende, has written this blog in response to the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

The day was established to commemorate the Saint-Domingue Revolution, which occurred during the night of August 22nd to 23rd, 1791. This revolution was pivotal in the eventual abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and the fight for freedom.

Every year, on August 23rd, the world observes the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. This day of remembrance was specifically designated to ensure that the tragedy of the slave trade was etched into the collective memory of all people. It serves as a moment to pause and reflect on the enduring legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, which continue to impact and challenge the lives of the descendants of those who were enslaved and other people of colour.

In the UK and other parts of the world, people of African and Caribbean descent, as well as other people of colour, are constantly reminded of these legacies through the overt and covert racism they encounter in their daily lives. This year has been especially challenging, with riots erupting across the UK starting on August 3rd, 2024, following the tragic loss of three young lives—Bebe King, aged six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged nine—who were killed in a senseless knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families and communities find comfort in their grief.

Some people have used these tragic losses to justify racial violence across the UK, directed at non-natives, targeting people of African, Caribbean, and Asian descent and other communities of colour. Muslim communities have been mainly targeted due to the misconception that the knife attacker was a Muslim immigrant. Those seeking refuge, arguably among the most vulnerable in society, have also been placed at the centre of this current wave of hate and terror. Hotels housing asylum seekers have been targeted, leaving asylum seekers terrified.

Racial violence and hate impact all of us. It is not only Black and Brown communities that suffer—police officers, who are tasked with protecting everyone in the community, have been injured. Businesses have been destroyed and looted. A man caring for the elderly had his car destroyed when it was set on fire by rioters. Even food banks and libraries were not spared, to name just a few examples. These facilities, infrastructure, and services looted and destroyed are essential to our safety and the smooth functioning of our collective lives. They are also costly to restore.

Fear has gripped Black and Brown communities in Hull and across the country. I hear about this fear when I speak with friends and other community members at church, work, and home. This fear casts a shadow over our daily lives, leaving us constantly on edge and questioning our sense of safety and belonging in the communities where we live, work, and serve.

Therefore, as we commemorate this year’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, collective, serious reflection is essential on its deep-rooted legacies. The recent violence has brought this reality into stark focus, where the hatred that Black and Brown bodies continue to endure has been manifested physically.

It is reassuring to note the response by the justice system. As of August 15, 2024, of the 460 people arrested in connection with this violence, all have faced their day in court, and at least 99 have already been sentenced. The wheels of justice have turned rapidly, and it is hoped that all responsible will soon face the full extent of the law. It is also reassuring to see so many standing in solidarity with those affected, participating in anti-racism protests, and checking up on the well-being of their friends, colleagues, and others concerned.

May the solidarity against racism continue to stand firm and grow, not only in addressing violent disorder but also in addressing other forms of violence that do not physically manifest, such as structural violence that affects people's opportunities for a thriving life. Above all, may we continue to check up on one another and work together to build a world dedicated to dismantling the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and the hate it fuelled for black and brown people.

The illustration of plantation slavery at the top of the page is from the British Library archives, via unsplash