Remember those who suffered

March 25 is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During this international holiday, we’re honoring all of the slaves that pushed through as victims of this horrific history.

This day allows us to focus on honoring those victims who fought every day for their lives and their freedom. We honor the people who made it here from Africa against their will. We’re honoring ancestors.

We celebrate and honor slavery on this day because people look past the fact that slaves put in the labor to create and help build our country without receiving the gratitude that they well deserved

Between 1525 and 1600, the world went through the First Atlantic System where slaves transported to Africa were transported to South America. This made up slightly more than 3% of the African slave trade. Another 17% of the trade took place in the 17^th century.

“The Second Atlantic system was the trade of enslaved Africans by mostly English, French and Dutch traders and investors.” (Wikipedia). This started around 1672.

The Triangular Trade ran from 1440 to 1843 and involved a trade for rum and slaves and goods from Europe. As always, the captives from Africa were considered financially valuable and International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade honors those captives as well.

A lot of slaves died while being transferred from Africa, from illness, natural causes, shipwreck or suicide. When we take time to remember them, we recognize that their lives are still valuable in the present and they deserve to be honored.