.png) |
| Photo by Allyana Hernandez |
The relationship between slavery and racism has always been evident throughout history. Though we cannot cover the entirety of their relationship with each other, it is important to be knowledgeable of their existence and learn about the experiences of abuse, injustice, and hardships that countless people went through because of slavery and racism. Today, March 25, 2023, we commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade with the theme "Fighting Slavery’s Legacy of Racism through Transformative Education." Here are some things you need to know about a dark part of our history and why is it vital to never forget these stories of truth.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
The transatlantic slave trade was a segment of the global slave trade where they transported approximately 12.5 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic ocean to go to the Americas for labor to work in American sugar plantations which took place from the mid-16th century to the 1860s—lasting for 366 years. The traders picked up enslaved Africans from the African coast namely, Senegambia, Angola, Cape, and Mozambique. Most of them came from West and Central Africa and Angola.
It is said that the transatlantic slave trade was the second stage of the three stages of the triangular trade namely (1) arms, textiles, and wine were shipped from Europe to Africa, (2) enslaved people were transported from Africa to the Americas, (3) sugar and coffee from America were shipped to Europe. There is without a doubt that the weight of this economic model was carried by millions of enslaved Africans.
It is estimated that around 15% to 25% of African slaves died on the ship. Other atrocities also happened in the middle passage such as the sexual exploitation of enslaved Africans and the widespread diseases on the ship that affected the European captains and crew. An example of this incident is the slave ship Zong in 1781 wherein due to the spread of an infectious disease affecting the slaves and the crew, Captain Luke Collingwood ordered to throw 130 slaves out of the ship to stop the disease.
Enslaved Stories Brought to Light
The Story of João
 |
| Written Report on João Mina from the Rijksmuseum |
In an online exhibition by Rijksmuseum, stories about slavery are told by detailing the true and personal experiences of slaves. One of which was João Mina, a man of African descent who was traded via Fort Elmina and was shipped to America to work in slavery on a plantation. His birth name was stripped from him and he was called João instead, given to him by the Portuguese. He escaped the Portuguese in Brazil and fled to Dutch territory in Recife where João was interrogated by the Dutch who wanted to gain military intelligence and wanted to know the living conditions in the Portuguese territory. The act of fleeing alone was already a risk to João’s life.
The living conditions in the Dutch territory turned out to not be much better than in Portugal. It was still abysmal and inhumane. If one does not cooperate, they are met with corporal punishment such as being locked inside a tronco or a food stock, chained by the ankle, and restricted from all freedom of movement. In the years 1636-1645, there were over 23,000 slaves were kidnapped from the west coast of Africa to Brazil.
In 1654, Dutch rule came to an end as the Portuguese seized control over the area. As the narrator, Joy Delima, ends the story of João, she says, “We don’t know how that [Dutch rule ending] impacted João’s life, as a part of the report, we have no personal information… all traces have been obliterated, we don’t know their names, their faces or their voice.”
The Story of Wally
 |
| The Slave-Dance by Dirk Valkenburg, 1707 - Kopenhagen Statens Museum for Kunst |
Wally was a slave on the Palmeneribo Sugar Plantation in Surinam. Together with 155 enslaved women, men, and children, they worked day and night, crushing sugar canes, and boiling the juices in large cast iron kettles called kappas to avoid acidifying the sugar. They have to be processed for 24 hours which meant the enslaved people also had to work for 24 hours or more at the plantations.
It is important to note that the only free time they got was once a year when slaves were allowed to come together and celebrate by making music, dancing, and practicing their religious rituals (see painting above.) One day, however, one of the owners named Jonas Witsen ordered the revocation of the slave’s free Saturdays and refused permission for enslaved workers to visit their families to increase production on the plantation to generate more money.
These orders resulted in constant clashes between the people who manage the plantation and the slaves and led Wally to revolt and escape the plantation in the summer of 1707. In Wally's words, "We don’t want to have an officer who makes us go to work so early and walk so fast.” Wally and the other men he was with hid in the forest for five days, but running away was punishable by death. Soon enough Wally and the other slaves who ran away from the plantation were arrested and interrogated in Zeelandia.
On August 11, 1707, Wally along with Baratham, Mingo, Sjarl, and Joseph was sentenced to death by immolation where their flesh was torn off with red hot pincers while burned alive. Their heads were displayed on top of spikes and served as a warning to other slaves about what can happen to them if they try to run away from their work.
Today, even with the official abolishment of slavery, racism still persists. We often ask ourselves how we should combat and put a stop to racism and again and again, the answer starts with education.
Education is a vital part of combating slavery’s legacy and the racism it spawns because it opens our eyes and minds to be aware of the truth of its own history—why it existed and why it should never happen again. Education involves informing ourselves on these issues seen in history and contemporary times. It is through making an active effort to go to museums, reading the stories of victims, and sensitizing ourselves on important topics such as racism and its effects even if at times it is out of our comfort zones.
One good source to start our educational journey about slavery is the online exhibit of the Rijksmuseum about the victims of slavery, those who were slave owners, and those who benefited from the oppressive system. Another great educational resource is this lesson pack from The National Archives with teacher's notes and starter activities.
You shouldn't stop at just educating yourself either; it is as important to also put our new knowledge into action by talking about slavery and racism and explaining why it is wrong and inhumane, especially for those who do not have the same access to education. It is having discourse with other people even if these conversations are hard to do, it is by joining protests and fighting on the right side of history. It is through amplifying the voices of those who are forgotten and empowering and supporting them and the generations of their bloodline.
The more educated people we have, the more aware we are, which means there are more people who can change the system and abolish systemic racism. How many years have we experienced or have been bystanders in the face of racism? How long should we endure the effects of an oppressive system?
The decision to change is in our hands. Not just for our own sake but for those who were neglected by the system.
.png)