Slavery gets first permanent museum

New African, Oct 2007 by Eze, Mercy

Mercy Eze reports from Liverpool, United Kingdom

Tucked in the stillness of Liverpool's Albert Dock within the Merseyside Maritime Museum now sits the world's first permanent museum devoted to the transatlantic slave trade. The International Slavery Museum shows the horrific instruments used in the slave trade and reiterates all the well-known, yet ever appalling, facts of transatlantic slavery, but also explores further both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery, in an attempt to shed more light on the abominable injustices of slavery.

The Merseyside Maritime Museum had already received international acclaim for its pioneering Transatlantic Slavery Gallery. Established in 1994, the exhibit continues to attract a significant number of visitors, bringing international attention to the history of slavery and an increased understanding of the consequences of the trade within the modern world.

The success of the gallery prompted the museum group to broaden their vision in order to address ignorance and misunderstanding by looking at the deep and permanent impact of slavery and the slave trade on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe.

In line with the Liverpool City Council's 1999 apology for its involvement in the slave trade, the city wanted to demonstrate its commitment to shedding light on the slave trade by creating the world's first permanent museum devoted to the transatlantic slave trade and hopes to furthet elevate the issue of African enslavement and its consequences to a global stage.

The mayor of Liverpool, Paul Clark, summed it all up when he told New African that "the new museum represents all that the world wants to hear about slavery and its legacies".

According to Joanna Rowlands, the museum's communications manager: "It is loaded, focusing highly on lingering issues of racism and inequality, while highlighting wonderful achievements of the African descendants."

Indeed and perhaps, no other location could have been more appropriate than Liverpool to house this museum. The location is only yards away from the dry docks where 18th century slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out.

The museum now also includes an Igbo Compound, drawing from the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria. Another remarkable part of the museum is a special shrine where visitors can walk in and pray as well as reflect on the past, drawing from the souls of millions of Africans forced into slavery.

At the inauguration on 23 August, representatives from countries where the slave trade was endemic, such as Senegal, Haiti and Sierra Leone told emotional stories about how the everlasting effects of this inhumane injustice still permeate their societies.

However, despite what seemed like a successful day, it did not end without some controversy. Amid an outpouring of words such as regrets, forgiveness, freedom, racism, reconciliation, it was those from Dr Dozie Nwanna, Nigeria's high commissioner to the UK, that stirred the beehive. Whatever the erudite African diplomat meant by telling the gathered: "We owned slaves! We sold them to willing buyers," is open for debate.

Above: The gallery of the new slave munum In Liverpool