Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Resistance and Remembrance
If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress *
Making Reparations a Reality: Activating New Avenues to
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Address the Legacies of Slavery More than 12.5 million men, women and children were captured across Africa and forced onto ships during the Atlantic slave trade from 1501–1866. Nearly two million of those who were enslaved perished on the voyage to the Americas. The harms caused by this system reverberate to this day through contemporary racism, entrenched wealth disparities, social inequalities, climate colonialism and generational trauma. For over 25 years, ICSC has worked with heritage sites and archives worldwide to ensure all generations not only remember and learn from histories of colonialism and slavery but connect these past systems of oppression to their modern legacies. In 2025, ICSC intends to build upon this foundation by launching the “Descendants’ Reparations Initiative (DRI)” a groundbreaking effort to unite Sites of Conscience worldwide to amplify, influence and accelerate global reparations efforts.
In June 2023, with support from ICSC, the Ford Foundation and the Senegalese government, Maison des Esclaves – a founding member of ICSC in Senegal – reopened after a rehabilitation of its physical structure and its exhibits. The opening was attended by over 200 people, including residents of Gorée, Senegalese politicians, members of the project’s Scientific Committee, journalists and others. Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Joire
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