Slavery Remembrance Day 2008

On 23 August 1791 an uprising of enslaved Africans on the island of Saint Domingue (Haiti) began. The revolt was a crucial event in the fight against slavery. UNESCO chose this date as a reminder that enslaved Africans were the agents of their own liberation.

Slavery Remembrance Day is important because it helps us to:
- Commemorate the lives of millions of Africans and their descendants who were central to the rise of Britain as an industrial power.
- Remember that we live with the legacies of transtalantic slavery such as racism and discrimination and ongoing inequalities, injustices and exploitation.
- Celebrate the resistance, rebellion and revolution that ended slavery, as well as the rise of popular movements for racial justice and social change that said both then and now, "never again."

"It's essential that we learn from the past in order to build a better, more harmonious future." - Gee Walker, Anthony Walker's mother.

EVENTS PROGRAMME

All events are FREE.

Thursday 21 August 2008, 5.30pm at Liverpool Town Hall
Slavery Remembrance Day memorial lecture
This year's lecture will be given by the British poet, playwright and author, Lemn Sissay. Refreshments served from 5.30pm, lecture starts at 6pm.

Multi-faith act of relection
Saturday 23 August 2008, 10.45am at Our Lady and St Nicholas Church, Liverpool.
A church service for people of all faiths to remember the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and affirm commitment to human rights and social justice for all.
Following the service free buses will run from the church to Otterspool.

Commemorative events at Otterspool Promenade.
Saturday 23 August 2008, 12noon-3pm

An afternoon of events at Otterspool promenade, south Liverpool.
Events at Otterspool will include:

12 noon: Cultural food and activities in the marquee. Enjoy a wide variety of traditional African and Caribbean food and take part in activities suitable for families and children.

1pm: Libation on the waterfront. Chief Angus Chukuemeka and community leaders will take part in this traditional African ceremony which calls on the ancestors to bless the event. The offering of libation involves the pouring of liquid, which can be water or wine, in a special pattern, while homage is paid to the ancestors.

1.30-3pm: Events in the marquee. An afternoon of exciting music and drama performances showcasing Black culture and heritage.

For more information, please call 051 478 4543 or visit www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Dates

various 21 Aug 2008 - 23 Aug 2008

Road Directions

Free transport to Otterspool
Free buses will pick up from Our Lady and St Nicholas Church to Otterspool after the Multi-faith Act of Reflection at 11:45am.
A shuttle bus will run from the International Slavery Museum
to Otterspool at 11.30am, 12.00pm and 12.30pm.

Free transport from Otterspool
Buses will make return journeys from Otterspool between 2.30pm and 4.30pm every 15 mins to the International Slavery Museum.

Public transport
BY BUS
82A bus service runs from Paradise Street bus station to
Jericho Lane (Stand 8) every 30 minutes.
BY TRAIN
Trains run every 15 minutes to Aigburth station. The event is
approximately 15 minutes walk from the station.
CAR PARKING
Limited car parking spaces are available on Otterspool Drive.