One of the most horrific crimes in history, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans dehumanized more than 15 million men, women and children for more than four centuries, brutally robbing them of their human rights and leaving generations of trauma in its wake.
It also gave rise to false narratives of white supremacy and racial inferiority, which continue to linger today, with harmful prejudices and systems of exclusion and discrimination stripping communities of their ability to thrive and prosper.
As we mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, acknowledging the past is an essential step towards repairing the present and building a future of dignity and justice for Afro-descendant communities across the globe.
To commemorate the day, the United Nations General Assembly will convene its annual plenary meeting on 25 March at 10 a.m. EDT. You can watch it live or on demand at UN WebTV.
Further, a sculpture exhibition is now on display at the UN Headquarters in New York through 25 April, hosted by the UN Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery in collaboration with the Stories of Us arts non-profit organization. The exhibit, which features artists from across the African diaspora, honours the resistance of enslaved Africans and the powerful voices of their descendants, whose leadership and cultural innovations enrich our societies today.
The exhibit is on display in the Visitors’ Lobby through 11 April and then moves outside to the Visitors’ Plaza, where it will serve as the backdrop for the music, dance and high-level events of the annual Permanent Forum for People of African Descent. You can see highlights of the exhibit in this video and learn more here.
2025 also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Permanent Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Known as the Ark of Return, the memorial invites people to contemplate the legacy of the slave trade and to fight against racism and prejudice.
In honour of the theme of the day – “Acknowledge the past. Repair the present. Build a future of dignity and justice” – see how you can learn more and get involved here.
