Two hundred years after the abolition of the transatlantic Slave Trade, Dorset will stop to remember the legacy of slavery and how its impact continues today. On Saturday 24 March, a Family Social Event will be held at St Mary’s Church House, South Street, Bridport. Stories, poetry readings, videos and children’s activities will commemorate the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. There will be a drumming display, and a DIY dance academy - not just for children but for everybody! The event runs from 11am to 3pm.
 | | Bill Drayton & Louisa Parker |
On Thursday 29 March, Poole's Rossmore Library will host "Dorset's Forgotten Voices". The event will include poetry readings by British-Ghanaian poet Louisa Adjoa Parker, short story recordings by Ebi Sosseh and a minute's silence to remember Dorset's black slaves and servants. The events are part of the Black History in Dorset project, run by Poole-based education charity Development Education in Dorset (DEED). The Black History in Dorset project is exploring local links with the slave trade, which brought great wealth to the county and the whole of Britain during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Louisa Adjoa Parker, Black History in Dorset Project Consultant, said, "The British actually shipped more Africans to the plantations in the Caribbean than any other country."
 | | Slave Ship (Oliver Warner) |
"Some slaves were brought to Dorset. Many West Country heroes such as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh were in fact slave traders." "It is important for people to know the truth of our history and understand how slavery has left behind a legacy of racism." When the research has been completed, a travelling exhibition and book will be produced. DEED has created a learning pack for schools wanting to commemorate the abolition. For more details, contact Louise Boston Mammah on 01202 739422 or deed@gn.apc.org. | 
