UN establishes the annual International Day of Remembrance

Gorée Island held an early observance of the remembrance day. The site’s memorial meaning has been debated by historians; its public commemoration nonetheless illustrates how African communities and...

The Protocol supplemented the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and defined trafficking in persons. It addresses contemporary exploitation rather than the historic Atlantic trade,...

The conference brought state and civil-society representatives together to address racism, colonialism, slavery, and their contemporary effects. The process was contentious, and the final...

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action described slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as crimes against humanity and recognized their continuing consequences. The declaration emerged from...

Law 10.639 made the teaching of African and Afro-Brazilian history and culture compulsory in official school curricula. It followed decades of Black movement advocacy and challenged curricula that had...

Law 11.645 amended the education law to require Indigenous as well as Afro-Brazilian history and culture in school curricula. It broadened the public account of colonial violence and resistance...

The United Nations first observed the annual International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The date created a recurring platform for memorialization and...

Resolution 64/169 proclaimed an international year to strengthen action on the rights and social participation of people of African descent. The initiative framed recognition and equality as global...

The statute established a national legal framework to promote racial equality and combat discrimination, including in education, culture, health, and employment. It translated Black movement demands...

The UN year opened a global program focused on recognition, justice, and development. It provided an international platform for states and civil society to address the history of enslavement and...