UK Activities to Mark Bicentenary of The Abolition of The Slave Trade

As March 25 marks 200 years since the British Parliament passed the bill to abolish the Transatlantic Slave Trade, this weekend, activities will gain momentum across the United Kingdom to commemorate the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Under the theme ‘Reflecting on the Past Looking to the Future’, the UK Department for Communities and Local Government will be responsible for plans to mark the bicentenary, while an advisory group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister has been set to take activities across Britain.
The Jamaican community in the UK will be hosting special events and functions to commemorate the bicentenary and the High Commission will be hosting a lecture by Vice Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies, Professor Rex Nettleford, in May.
This weekend Jamaica’s High Commissioner to London, Burchell Whiteman, will be the special guest in Nottingham for two days of activities, which will include a speech at the Afro Caribbean National Artistic Centre (ACNA); a special open-air service by the Nottingham Association of Black churches, and a service of celebration of the bicentenary at St. Mary’s Church.
The Lignum Vitae Club will also be hosting a special event featuring Deputy High Commissioner, Sharon Saunders and a lecture by Jamaican-born, and Edinburgh-based, Professor Geoff Palmer, who will examine the Scottish impact on the Caribbean during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Chair of the Lignum Vitae Club, Hyacinth Parsons said the bicentenary provided an opportunity to remember those who sacrificed their lives so that others may enjoy freedom.
“The bicentenary gives us an opportunity to remember the millions who suffered, and to pay tribute to the courage and moral conviction of all those who have sacrificed their lives so that others may enjoy freedom. While it was vital to acknowledge the contributions of luminaries such as William Wilberforce in championing abolition, it was also important to celebrate how we as a people have managed to overcome, in order to survive,” she stated.
The UK Department for Education and Skills, has provided joint-funding of