Why is it May 10 that France commemorates slavery?

Painting by Auguste Biard on the Abolition of slaveryEvery May 10 since 2006, France commemorates slavery. This date, which continues to be contested, was established after long debates and achieved consensus after years of discussions between historians, politicians and associations of the black cause. How was this date chosen?

It took a long time for slavery to be recognized as a crime against humanity. This also lasted for years. It all began two years after the election of François Mitterrand to the Presidency of the Republic, in 1983 when a decree provided that the abolition of slavery would be addressed in all French educational establishments during one hour of class on a date. fixed.

The same year, François Mitterrand ratified a date specific to each overseas department to commemorate slavery following a request from local assemblies. He establishes that this day will be non-working and a holiday. In Martinique, the date of May 22 is used as a reference to the day when slaves following a massive revolt in the plantations of Saint Pierre wrested their freedom. Faced with the revolt, the Governor at the time had no choice but to abolish slavery immediately.

In 1998, following the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the French colonies, a bill was tabled by the Communist Party to attempt to establish a specific date in the calendar to commemorate the abolition of slavery in the metropolis.

Christiane Taubira former French Guiana DeputeeIn 1999, a bill was discussed with as rapporteur, Christiane Taubira, Deputee of French Guyana. It is voted unanimously at first reading at the assembly. The senators propose amendments which will be rejected by the deputies at second reading.

In 2001, the law was adopted in second reading by senators ... on May 10. It recognizes as a crime against humanity the trafficking and slavery practiced from the 15th century on the African, Amerindian, Malagasy and Indian populations.

In 2004, the working committee defined by law (Committee for the Memory of Slavery (CPME)) chaired by Maryse Condé proposed the date of May 10 in reference to the day when the senators definitively adopted the law. The other proposed dates (February 4, date of the proclamation of the first abolition of slavery (1794), April 27, date of proclamation of the second abolition of slavery were not unanimous (1848)) .

Jacques Chirac during the commemoration of slavery in 2006It was in 2006 that the date of May 10 would be formalized and that the first commemorations would take place at the Luxembourg Palace in the presence of the President of the Republic, Jacques Chirac and Christiane Taubira, whose law would bear her name.

The commemorations are done only at the national level. Each year, the President of the Republic with Black associations in France, elected officials and Black celebrities participate in the events that take place in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

In Martinique, no event is organized on this date of June 10. It is on May 22 that the island commemorates three painful centuries of its past.

Finally at the international level, no other country in the world has a memorial law stipulating that slavery is a crime against humanity. The UN sets the "International Day for the Abolition of Slavery" on December 2, while UNESCO retained August 23 in memory of the night of August 22 to 23, 1791 when a slave revolt broke out in Santo Domingo as a prelude to the country’s independence.

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