Essential Information
| Type | Events and festivals |
|---|---|
| Location |
National Maritime Museum
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| Date and Times | Returning in 2024 |
| Prices | Free |
On 23 August 1791, enslaved people on the island of Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) rose up against French colonial rule.
The uprising played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
That's why, on 23 August each year, the National Maritime Museum commemorates International Slavery Remembrance Day and the long struggle for emancipation throughout the world.
Keep an eye on this page for details about our 2024 commemorations.
In pictures
Look back on previous Slavery Remembrance commemorations hosted at the National Maritime Museum.
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Procession from the National Maritime Museum to the River Thames
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Music during the emancipation ceremony
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Jahmila Heath performs at the National Maritime Museum during Slavery Remembrance Day
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People dancing outside the National Maritime Museum
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Author Stella Dadzie speaking at the National Maritime Museum
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The emancipation ceremony by the River Thames
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Young people at the National Maritime Museum
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Musical performance
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Procession to the River Thames
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Historian S.I. Martin speaking at the National Maritime Museum
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What is International Slavery Remembrance Day?
Between the 1400s and 1800s, 12-15 million men, women and children were forcibly transported from Africa to the Americas.
This day stands as a reminder of the bravery, courage, resilience and determination of enslaved African people who continuously fought for their freedom.
It is a time to remember that people fought and died to establish their own freedom and liberation from the tyranny of enslavement.
The day also raises the contemporary legacies of transatlantic slavery, which are manifested in the continued racism and prejudice against Black and Caribbean communities.
UNESCO selected the 23 August to mark the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. 23 August was the day that self-liberated enslaved people on the island of Saint Domingue (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) rose up against French colonial rule, and played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
Resources and responses
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Art and intervention at the National Maritime Museum
LIQUID CARBON (2021) is a digitised collage of drawings of water and paintings printed on mirrored aluminium, created by artist Deanio X and commissioned by the National Maritime Museum. It is currently on display in the Museum's Atlantic Worlds gallery.
"The work explores the resilience and resourcefulness of the African diaspora in response to the colonising project of the British empire," explains the artist. "The composite artwork builds upon motifs of blood, culture and memory to evoke a chaotic scene of resistance in the Atlantic Ocean’s middle passage and contemplates how the ripples of history return to meet us in the future."
Seed of the Fruit is a poem written by Mark Thompson and commissioned by the National Maritime Museum.
In the piece, the Anglo-Jamaican spoken word artist explores both his and Britain's connection to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans.
World Views: the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Young Historians Project volunteer Kaitlene Koranteng discusses some of the objects in the Royal Museums Greenwich collection, and what they tell us about the histories surrounding the slave trade.
Sound and memory
Listen to a playlist inspired by International Slavery Remembrance Day.
What’s On
Find more events at the National Maritime Museum.
Choose your tickets
Entry to the National Maritime Museum is free, but you are welcome to book tickets online in advance. Click the links below and select 23 August using the booking calendar. See all tickets and prices
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