Annette came from Nigeria on a language immersion trip to improve her French.
“On Saturday afternoon, we went to Nantes and when we got there, we discovered the Memorial for the Abolition of Slavery. I was very moved to discover how people, men, women, children, in short human beings, were treated, in both senses of the word: mistreatment and the slave trade.
I knew the story, but I wasn’t aware of what the victims had gone through. At the Memorial, I really felt the pain of all those people and the extent of the physical pain, of course, but also and above all the moral pain.
And I think it still affects many people to this day. Personally, for example, after reading the texts, I felt these people’s pain, as if it were inside me.
It was very moving for me when I read the words of Martin Luther King and also when I read the words of Bob Marley’s song, “Redemption song” and I wanted to sing it. It was very moving to do it, I was very happy to do it. It was like giving my blood for it with a surge of adrenaline and a great feeling of freedom.”
A visit to the Memorial is a must for the duty of remembrance and to shed light on the colonial past in a spirit of conciliation.
Here’s a link to find out more and organize your own visit: https: //memorial.nantes.fr/
An association is keeping an eye on the subject:
Les Anneaux de la Mémoire
18 rue Scribe, 44000 Nantes
02 40 69 68 52
contact@anneauxdelamemoire.org
Publications, school visits, cultural action projects
