African Voices of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Beyond the Silence and the Shame.

Whilst in Jamaica I had the immense privilege of meeting Anne Bailey.

Anne is part of the Churches Reparation Action Forum. She is a writer, scholar, historian and Professor at Binghamton University, New York.

Anne is author of African Voices of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Beyond the Silence and the Shame. The book title grabbed my attention and I have recently finished reading it in preparation for my visit to Ghana later this month.

The book begins with the premise that West African voices on the Trans Atlantic salve trade (TAST) are quiet for a number of reasons. Firstly, much of the historical tradition in West Africa is oral and is therefore not promoted in our globalised world as much as it could be. Secondly Anne suggests their is a shame in West African culture because of the apparent complicity of the people with western traders in enslaved people.

Anne's book is an attempt to write down some of the oral traditions and hear the voices of the past through interviews and conversations and to make sense of the huge contribution of West Africans to fighting the TAST.

It felt like every page was a challenge to my understanding of the TAST but there were four things that struck me from her writing. 

These are:

1. Slavery was not always a managed trade. Often people were stolen, kidnapped or tricked into enslavement.

2. People often point out that slavery existed in Africa way before the arrival of westerners who industrialised the trade. Anne points out that some have suggested domestic slavery in Ghana was used as a prison system to keep undesirables under control.

3. Rarely do we hear the voices of the black abolitionists such as Sylvia Dubois who is alleged to have famously declared 'I'm no man's nigger - I belong to God - I belong to no man.'.  The abolitionists often participated in non violent disengagement and through language and culture challenged those in power.

4. During it's discussions around the abolition of slavery the British government had a preference to a gradual end to slavery. The increase in insurrection and uprising in the colonies sped up the process of legislation banning the trade in human beings.

The book is a fascinating read and the result of much hard work, listening and reflection. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and how it influences culture and communities today.

Thanks Anne for sharing your findings in such a profound and powerful manner.