Kinshasa, August 23rd, 2026 (CPA).– The artistic and cultural expressions have been recommended as a means of reinforcing the memory of the slave trade in the collective consciousness of African youth by a Congolese analyst of African descent on Sunday, during the commemoration of the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. “The arts and culture are important tools in this work of remembrance. Stories, music and artistic performances can help pass on this history to new generations whilst strengthening their sense of belonging,” has specified Prince Arnold Kufulula. In this context, he has explained, the cultural organisation points out that certain traces of this history remain visible in African societies, particularly through divisions inherited from the past. “It also highlights that certain forms of disparagement serve to emphasise the capacity of African peoples to preserve their creativity and resilience,” has said the analyst.
Beyond commemoration, the source has explained, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is an opportunity to encourage African youth to turn knowledge of the past into a source of strength for the future. “Do not let anyone reduce your history to its darkest chapter. Learn it in its entirety, with its triumphs as well as its tears, for it is in this wholeness that your true heritage lies,” he has said. For him, the memory of the slave trade is an essential duty for strengthening the identity and dignity of African youth in general, and that of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular. “In other words: we remember, even what they wanted us to forget. And in that memory lies a dignity that nothing has been able to take away,” has argued Arnold Kufulula. This day, marked with solemnity, is a time for reflection on the history of the slave trade, but also on the need to preserve collective memory in the face of the risk that significant parts of African history may be erased.
“Passing on this history to younger generations should not be limited to the narrative of suffering, but should also incorporate the civilisations, kingdoms, knowledge and traditions that existed on the continent prior to that period,” the source has emphasised. And he went on to say: “A child who learns only of his suffering grows up fragile. A child who also learns of his greatness grows up standing tall.” However, the person of African descent has called for the history to be passed on so that young Africans might come to know the full extent of their heritage.
Established in 1997 by the United Nations (UNESCO), the International Day for the Remembrance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on August 23rd of each year. This date was originally chosen to mark the start of the slave uprising in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) on the night of August 22nd -23rd, 1791.