France remembers slavery victims
A French envoy has said her country did profit from slavery as it officially commemorates the victims of the trade for the first time.
“It profited from the commerce in human beings… ripped from the African homeland,” Junior Co-operation Minister Brigitte Girardin said in Senegal.
She was visiting a notorious slave island off the coast of Senegal.
In Paris, President Jacques Chirac said facing up to the colonial past was a “key to national cohesion”.
He opened an art exhibition in Paris’s Luxembourg Gardens while other cities and venues around France held their own ceremonies for Slavery Remembrance Day – the first such event in an EU state.
Wednesday’s day of commemoration was ordered by Mr Chirac, on the fifth anniversary of the passing of a law by the French Senate recognising slavery as a crime against humanity.
Hundreds of thousands of slaves were taken by French ships from Africa to plantations in the Caribbean before France banned the practice in 1848.
It was, Mr Chirac said, an “indelible stain on history”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4756635.stm
France names slavery memorial day
Commentary: Its about time. Those that can read the handwritings on the wall are getting more serious with the issue of atonement for the enslavement of Africa, the mother continent and her swarthy children, by those woeful and vicious European pirates.
Some of their descendants extol their sins but many more intelligent ones reject and repent of their sins.
What can Rastafari say but, “Never again Africans…never again.”
As such Africans unite! Be-love your family, today!
I am NEVER impressed by White people “apologizing” for slavery or making “holidays” for it, while they still victimize & practice racism (white supremacy) against black and other non-white people.
France has refused to make reparations to Haiti for its abominable & savage rape of the people & destruction of their identity & religion & culture. They have also not made any compensatory payment to any African nation that they colonized. I am not at all moved by any holidays white people have regarding slavery. SHOW ME THE REGRET.. restore that which was destroyed as much as possible.
I agree with you ENC. Sorry/”regrets” etc is just talk. People are judged by their actions.
In fact France with its grip on its Francophone Afrika zone via CFA (“independent” Afrikan countries’ currencies linked to the parasitical french businesses/& now Euro) are still feeding France’s rapacity.