Opened in 2007, the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade, Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum serves both as a testament to those African slaves brought across to Europe in the eighteenth century and as a reminder to us all, to continue to address issues of self-importance and ignorance.

 

The museum has three principal galleries - Life in West Africa, Enslavement and the Middle Passage and Legacies of Slavery.  These three galleries together exploring the lives of the Africans before they were shipped over as slaves, the traumas they experienced on board and the subsequent subservient life they led in the Americas, as well as looking at how racism and discrimination still strives in our society today - have we really learned any lessons?

 

Of course slavery didn’t just occur in Africa; it still exists today in several countries including Haiti.  The museum has on display the “Freedom!” sculpture, crafted by a group of Haitian artists, to raise awareness of their plight.

 

With thought-provoking images, messages and interactive activities, the International Slavery Museum is an excellent venue to remind adults and educate children that all of us were created equal and that we should remain so.

 

Located at the Albert Dock, admission is free and the museum holds several activity days.  The museum shop stocks a variety of gifts and memorabilia, including fair trade products.

 

For a meaningful, thought-provoking day out in Liverpool, the International Slavery Museum is  a must.