Bermuda charity African Diaspora Heritage Trail will host its sixth annual United Nations International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Commemoration this month, with accomplished Barbadian professor Alvin Thompson the featured speaker.

Although February is designated as Black History Month, March has a number events of significance in the history of persons of African descent, including the 60th anniversary on Monday of Ghana’s independence from Britain, the 52nd anniversary of the Martin Luther King-led march from Selma in the fight for voting rights on March 21, and March 25 marking 210 years since the British Parliament abolished the slave trade.

The theme as designated by the UN for the 2017 commemoration is “Recognising the Legacy and Contributions of people of African Descent”. The symbol that the ADHT has chosen to represent this theme is “wawa aba”, an Akan symbol in Ghana that means “seed of the wawa tree”. The wawa tree has a very hard seed and thus this is a symbol of hardiness, toughness and perseverance. In Akan culture, it is a symbol that inspires persons to persevere through hardships. The ADHT has chosen this symbol to represent this year’s theme because persons of African descent have had to persevere to leave the positive legacy that has been established — from the struggle from the slave ship to the historic moment of Barack Obama taking residence in the White House.

Activities will start with the Annual Lecture Series on March 22 from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Dr E.F. Gordon Memorial Hall in the Bermuda Industrial Union Building. Entry is $15 for adults, $5 for students and will be free for seniors aged 65 and over.

Dr Thompson, who has a Bermudian wife and two children who live on the island, comes well credentialled as a professor emeritus in the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Dr Thompson has an extensive curriculum vitae, which is a testament to his knowledge of the history and culture of the African Diaspora. He has written extensively, with his most recent book, Visualizing Slavery: Images and Texts, a compendium of photographs and information about the history of persons across the African Diaspora.

Llewellyn Simmons, the Director of Academics at the Ministry of Education, has praised the book as “an excellent resource for teachers”, a signed copy of which will be handed out as a door prize.

On March 24, Dr Thompson will make a presentation to selected students from the Berkeley Institute, CedarBridge Academy and the Bermuda College in Hallett Hall at the Bermuda College, starting at 1pm. His focus will be on helping students to understand “the untold story of slavery” beyond the enslaved person’s daily work regime.

The next day, which is the official UN day of remembrance, the ADHT will host a Caribbean-themed dinner at The Tempest Bistro on Water Street in St George’s. Tickets will be $75. There will be a reception starting at 6.30pm, with dinner starting at 7pm.

Dr Thompson, other than marrying the former Hilda Caisey, has many Bermudian connections and taught for a few years at the former Robert Crawford School.

He is also the father of Olympic bronze medal-winning sprinter Obadele Thompson, who became the first Barbadian to win an Olympic medal at the Sydney Games in 2000, bettered in the 100 metres final by only Maurice Green and Ato Boldon.

The final event in this year’s programme is the annual Commemorative Service at 4pm on March 26 at Cobbs Hill Methodist Church located on Moonlight Lane, next to the Warwick Workmen’s Club.

Cobbs Hill Methodist Church is viewed as a true example of “the legacy and contributions of people of African descent” here in Bermuda.

• For further information or to reserve tickets for the dinner, contact Maxine Esdaille at maxine@adht.bm

• For a view of Alvin Thompson’s extensive CV, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”