A Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

The United Nations has declared Thursday, August 23rd as a Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.  This is a moment to pause for the consideration of the atrocities that humanity has inflicted upon its kith and kin in the name of regional, ethnic, religious and cultural superiority. We must also use this day for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.

Despite the efforts of people throughout the world slavery still exists, only in newer forms. Gone are the days of humans being legally recognized as property and instead now the shackles and chains are more subtle and engrained into our societal fiber. Humans throughout the globe suffer a new form of slavery through unfair labor practices and even economic slavery. The fight for human rights and social justice on this front is far from over, even if the theater of battle has changed.

While we keep those still suffering from the bonds of slavery in our prayers, we can also celebrate that the cause of the abolition of slavery gave birth to the Freedom Churches, which include the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, have fostered and cultivated noteworthy and essential voices to our global Methodist and Wesleyan Family, including the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

The World Methodist Council asks that all of our member churches and their parishes take a moment to consider not only the horrors of slavery, but for the triumphs of its abolishment. We ask that you consider the present and pray for a new movement of abolition to spring up through the world.