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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Transatlantic slave trade gravest crime against humanity, Juneteenth marks its end

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The UN General Assembly declared the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, with 123 countries backing the resolution led by Ghana.
  • The US, Israel, and Argentina voted against the resolution, while Australia and the UK abstained, drawing criticism from supporters of the resolution.
  • Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in America, marking the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were informed of their freedom.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, a resolution spearheaded by Ghana and supported by 123 member states. However, the vote saw opposition from the United States, Israel, and Argentina, with Australia and the United Kingdom abstaining, actions that have drawn sharp criticism.

In school they did American history, they did US history, they did Texas history. But whenever it got to slavery they glossed over it and did the bare minimum.

— Ri'chard CaldwellCaldwell describes his experience with the teaching of slavery in US schools.

Ri'chard Caldwell, co-host of the podcast "Melanated in Melbourne," expressed skepticism about the resolution's impact. He noted that many Western nations abstained or voted against it, suggesting a reluctance to fully acknowledge the atrocities of the past. "All the other Western nations were like, 'It wasn't that bad,'" Caldwell observed.

And even then, whenever that happened, they would ask the Black kids in class how they felt about it, if they had any input on it, which is a really embarrassing and awkward thing to do.

— Ri'chard CaldwellCaldwell reflects on the uncomfortable way slavery was discussed in his history classes.

Ghana has called for reparations as a concrete step to address historical injustices, but Caldwell remains doubtful. "People don't want to acknowledge that the atrocities happened in the first place," he stated, highlighting a perceived unwillingness to confront the legacy of slavery. "They're like, 'Oh, I don't know enough. It's been 300 years, but I don't know enough.'"

I remember hearing about it, but I also remember forgetting about it instantly because all these resolutions from the UN don't actually do anything.

— Ri'chard CaldwellCaldwell expresses skepticism about the impact of UN resolutions.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1862, it took until June 19, 1865, for enslaved people in Texas to be officially informed of their freedom. This date marks the end of a brutal trade that spanned nearly 400 years, during which an estimated 12.5 million people were captured in Africa and forced into slavery.

But all the other Western nations were like, 'It wasn't that bad.'

— Ri'chard CaldwellCaldwell characterizes the response of Western nations to the UN resolution on the slave trade.
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Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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