African Remembrance Day 2024 launches a year-long series of activities marking 30 years of commemorating African Remembrance Day. Held since 1995, when about 100 Africans gathered at Dover for the first such ceremony in the UK, ARD uniquely turned the spotlight on remembering the African victims of slavery.
The deaths of millions over the last 400 years in the Americas, Asia and on the African continent is marked by 3 minutes of silence at 3.00pm. Beyond its additional focus on memorialising of the victims through the erection of statues and monuments ARD also provides an opportunity to reflect on the journey of their descendants in the continuing fight for justice and equality. ARD has greatly shaped and influenced the growing movement of remembrance, restitution and reparations. Speakers over the years at ARD and other related seminars have included President Olusegun Obasanjo (represented by the Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr Christopher Kolade); Bernie Grant MP; Prof. Hakim Adi; Baroness Howells; Esther Standford; Ronald Segal; and Runoko Rashidi.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, formerly MP for Streatham, will deliver the keynote address at ARD on 1 August 2024, with this year’s ceremony, kick starting a series of talks and exhibitions over the coming year to mark the 30-year commemorations.
Event activities include:
- 1 August 2024 (12 – 4.00pm) – Ceremony: African Remembrance Day
- 21 September 2024 – Talk: ‘How Many Gone? Counting the Victims’
- 14 December 2024 – Talk: ‘African Remembrance Day and the Story of
Remembrance in the UK - 22 February 2025 – Talk: Ways of Remembering – Victim Stories from the Various
Locations - 11 May 2025 – Talk: ‘Crimes without Criminals’
- 13 July 2025 – Talk: ‘Survivors or Victims?’
- 1 August 2025 – Ceremony: African Remembrance Day
Keynote Speaker Bio – Bell Ribeiro-Addy
Keynote Speaker Bio – Bell Ribeiro-Addy is a Labour politician and MP for Clapham & Brixton Hill. In 2020, she was briefly Shadow Minister for Immigration, and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for African Reparations. She has argued for revision of the British Museum Act of 1963, which currently prevents looted artefacts such as the Benin Bronzes from being returned to their countries of origin. In her maiden parliamentary speech, she called for some form of reparations to former colonial subjects.
To attend: Register Here
For more information, contact: Onyekachi Wambu