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Liverpool marks Slavery Remembrance Day

An array of free cultural events, including a traditional libation ceremony, are being held today in Liverpool as the world marks Slavery Remembrance Day.

Celebrations kicked off this morning with an interfaith service at St Nicholas Church on the city's waterfront.

A highlight of the remembrance day was a libation ritual performed by Chief Angus Chukuemeka, a member of the advisory committee for the building of the Transatlantic Slavery Museum and chair of the Merseyside African Representative Council.

Civic and community leaders from across Liverpool joined Chief Chukuemeka for the ritual, which involves the pouring of liquid on to the ground to honour ancestors or elders.

This was followed by the opening of a cultural marquee at the Otterspool Promenade featuring African and Caribbean food and music and drama performances, plus children's activities.

Performers include the River Niger Orchestra, Liverpool Community Spirit, rappers Yaw and Kofi and a community choir.

The artistic director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Ekow Eshun, is due to give a memorial lecture at Liverpool Town Hall at 6pm, focusing on his recent book Black Gold of the Sun and the legacy of slavery through contemporary art and sculpture.

Visitors will also have the chance to learn more about the transatlantic slave trade and the new International Slavery Museum which is due to open at the Merseyside Maritime Museum on Slavery Remembrance Day 2007.

Liverpool was Europe's capital of the slave trade in the late 18th century and grew rich on the profits of trading in enslaved people.

The commemorations are held every year on August 23 because on that day in 1791, enslaved Africans on the island of Santa Domingo (modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic) began a revolt.

This revolt was crucial to the fight against slavery and UNESCO chose this date as a reminder that enslaved Africans were the principal agents of their own liberation.

Liverpool's celebrations are organised by a partnership between National Museums Liverpool, individuals from the city's black community, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Culture Company and The Mersey Partnership.

Claire Duffy, head of community partnerships at National Museums Liverpool, said: "This is an important time as we approach the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery in Britain next year. Slavery Remembrance Day commemorations this year set the scene for the opening of the International Slavery Museum on 23 August 2007."

Dorothy Kuya, a member of the Liverpool Slavery Remembrance Initiative steering group, added: "Slavery Remembrance Day is an opportunity for all members of the community to remember and reflect on the legacy of the slave trade. It helps us all understand how the past influences the way we lead our lives now and in the future."

Copyright Press Association 2006.