Bordeaux, a former major slave port, is organising "days of memory" until 23 May

Le Figaro Bordeaux

Bordeaux, a multi-millennial city, has known several dark hours in its history. Like most European port cities, the Port of the Moon was a stopover for many colonial ships involved in triangular trade. "Bordeaux took advantage of slavery from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century with more than 500 expeditions, either slave trade or trade in righteousness, accumulating, through this system of unworthy predation, great wealth," recalls the municipality, which has engaged "a deep work of memory for more than ten years". It is highlighted until May 23, through several events in the city.

As every May 10 since 2006, the France commemorates the National Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade, Slavery and their Abolition. For the first time in Bordeaux, an African country, Ghana, is invited on this occasion as a country of honor, in order to bring to life the "making memory" and to "share the experiences and initiatives undertaken around these memories", because Ghana was one of the main points of deportation of slaves to the American continent. This Wednesday, an official ceremony will take place at Square Toussaint Louverture, followed by a sung and danced show, then a release of roses on the Garonne from the Marco Polo. Finally, the Mayor of Bordeaux and the Ambassador of Ghana will formalize in the evening the opening of the Days of Remembrance, at the CAPC café.

As part of these eighth days dedicated to the memory of slavery in Bordeaux, many events are planned throughout the city. Several short films will be screened at the Museum of Aquitaine, a concert of "encounter with Guyanese culture" will be given on May 12 at the Halle des Chartrons, where an exhibition on Tembé art is accessible free of charge until May 15. Finally, several shows will take place in different places including the moat market, and many meetings will be organized around the theme of slavery and memory.

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Six new biographical plaques

On its website dedicated to the memory of slavery, the city of Bordeaux recalls that "the Bordeaux slave trade represents 480 expeditions recorded between 1672 and 1837", and that out of 3551 expeditions between 1713 and 1792, 417 left Bordeaux, making the city one of the ports of France most involved in human trafficking, far behind Nantes (1470 expeditions), and about the same level as La Rochelle (473) and Le Havre (463). "We can consider that several thousand Bordeaux residents have participated directly or indirectly in this trafficking of human beings," says the town hall, but 175 years after the abolition of slavery, the city of Bordeaux does not seek to deny this part of its history.

At the end of the previous term, five biographical plaques were affixed to the streets bearing the names of people involved at different levels in the slave trade. The plaques have since been harmonized, with mention of the recognition of slavery as a crime against humanity. "We have taken these plates to give them a global coherence and be more affirmative on the elements brought by historians," explains Olivier Escots, deputy mayor in charge of disability and the fight against all discrimination. A sixth plaque was added in 2022, on Colbert Street, and six more will be installed in 2023.

Finally, a project for a "house against slavery" is also being considered in Bordeaux, at the initiative of the association Mémoires & Partages, with the aim of "highlighting the legacies of colonial slavery and establishing a space dedicated to the dialogue of memories". After the prefiguration work, a delegation will present its report to the mayor of Bordeaux this Friday.

One of the biographical plaques installed in Bordeaux. From now on, they all contain the reference to the "Taubira" law of 21 May 2001. DR / City of Bordeaux