A series of events featuring local and international presenters have been organised in commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) Bermuda Foundation will host its annual events during the week of March 22 to 28. Its theme this year is “Looking Back Critically to Move Forward Competently”.

The event will begin with a church service at Cobb’s Hill Methodist Church on Sunday, March 22 from 4pm.

On Tuesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 26 there will be a “Day of Remembrance Lecture Series” from 6.30pm at the Bermuda College New Hall Building’s Blue Room. The first session is titled “Looking Back Critically” and the second is called “Moving Forward Competently”. Tickets for each lecture are $20.

The College is an integral part of this year’s commemorative activities, providing use of their facility with no charge to the ADHT for the lectures. This year’s presenters are Dr Royiah Saltus, a Bermudian sociologist who is Principal Research Fellow in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at the University of South Wales, and Cordell Riley.

Edmond Moukala, of the Africa Unit of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and member of the ADHT Board of Directors, has been invited to participate across this year’s events. He will talk about his work with UNESCO on universal sites of memory which are related to the history of slavery and the slave trades; and about the financing and sustainable management of these sites.

The final event will be the Kekere Geje- lá Ohun (Yoruba for Small Bites – Big Sounds) Concert. This concert celebrates the International Decade for People of African Descent and will take place at the Berkeley Institute on Saturday, March 28 at 6.30pm. Local artists will showcase the global musical genres rooted in the slave trade including jazz, blues, gospel, soul, R&B, reggae, hip hop, tango and capoeira.

ADHT’s patron for the concert is Rotimi Martins.

Tickets are $50. Soft drinks will be on sale as well as South African wines.