By Urithi Wetu Research Team,
On 23rd of August each year, the world commemorates anInternational Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition. The United Nations Organizations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) proclaimed this day as such to honor the memory of those who suffered under slavery and those who fought for its end. The date marks the Haitian Revolution in 1791, which was a pivotal uprising that inspired the global movement against the slave trade.
To commemorate this day, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), in collaboration with the University of St Andrews, and with financial support from the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, prepared, produced and mounted a week-long exhibition at the German Old BOMA in Bagamoyo from 22nd to 29th August 2025. The event aimed to honor the memory of those who suffered during the 19th century slave trade in present-day United Republic of Tanzania, raise awareness of its historical impact, and promote healing through remembrance and dialogue. The exhibition captured the attention of scholars, heritage experts, artists, students, teachers, residents, and international audiences visiting Bagamoyo. Over a thousand people visited the exhibitions and these including pupils from schools across Bagamoyo and other regions, alongside tourists from different parts of Tanzania and abroad.
The school pupils visiting the exhibitions at the Old German BOMA
Guided by the theme “Acknowledge the Past, Repair the Present, and Build a Future of Dignity and Justice,” the exhibition invited participants to reflect on the enduring effects of slavery and to recognize the importance of equality and human dignity. The theme also called upon people everywhere in the world to confront historical injustices and recognize their lasting impact, to challenge all forms of racism and inequality, and to work together in building a fair and inclusive future for the generations to come. “The exhibition was not intended to provoke anger but to encourage understanding and inspire communities to build a world that honors human dignity,” said Professor Elgidius Ichumbaki, the chief exhibition curator.
Why mount the exhibition in Bagamoyo?
Bagamoyo, once a major point of departure for over 10,000 enslaved people every year during the 19th century Indian Ocean slave trade, still bears the physical and emotional traces of that painful history. Hosting the exhibition in this historic town made it possible for participants to connect directly with the sites and memories of the past. Elaborating further on this, Professor Ichumbaki of UDSM remarks, ‘…Bagamoyo is indeed appropriate for setting up the exhibition on slave trade remembrance. The town holds memories and traces related to the slave trade. Our goal is for both residents and visitors to learn from history and become ambassadors of dignity and human rights today and in the future.’
Important evidence includes descendant communities and buildings such as the Caravanserai that was once a guest house for slave traders. Monumental structures include the Old BOMA, the slave market, custom house, Old Fort and the Von Wissman Tower, erected by a German East African Commander in 1889 during the Bushiri uprising to control the slave trade and assert German authority on the coast. These physical remains, however, are rapidly being lost due to erosion associated with climate change. Preserving and protecting the historical buildings is a focus of collaboration between UDSM and the University of St Andrews.
Some school pupils posing after visiting the exhibitions
The exhibition visitors’ experience
The exhibition featured a captivating blend of multimedia displays, photographs, artifacts, and short documentaries that told stories of the East African slave trade. Each presentation offered insights into trade routes, daily lives, and the resilience of those who endured it. The combination of visuals, text, and film created a multi-sensory experience, allowing visitors not only to read and see but also to feel the history.
“I have gained more knowledge about slavery and human rights. Many people are still trapped in modern forms of slavery today, and we must continue to fight against it,” said Zawadi Shabani Kadede, a resident of Bagamoyo.
“I have learned about the history of slavery and the lives of the people of Bagamoyo, particularly how they sustain themselves through activities such as fishing and farming. I have also gained knowledge on the traditions and ways of life of the people in the past.” Informed Mr Omary Haji Kihogo, a resident from Bagamoyo.
Shabani Sagini, Teacher from Wailes Primary School, Dar es Salaam reiterated, “…I have learned many historical aspects, including the origin of Bagamoyo and Zanzibar, the history of the inhabitants, the slave trade, and how it was abolished. I commend the University of Dar es Salaam for presenting the authentic history of East African coast.”
Echoing on the same idea, Hairat Shabani, a Bagamoyo secondary school student remarked, “…theending of slave trade promoted respect for human dignity and opened the path to freedom and equality for all. It is a great joy to see the exhibition and I have learned many historical aspects about slave trade.”
International visitors to Bagamoyo also found the experience deeply moving. “As a visitor from South America, this exhibition is enlightening. It helps us understand the mistakes of the past to educate the future generation,” said Silvio Divina from Chile who also gave his opinions on camera.
Visitors writing down their comments after visiting the exhibitions
Exhibitions inspiring young minds and created a space for awareness and reflection
The exhibition also opened creative space for students from primary and secondary schools to express what they learned through art, poems, and drama performances. Their drawings and performances captured imagined scenes of the past and messages of hope for the future.These activities made learning interactive and emotionally engaging, hence arts became a bridge for connecting knowledge, empathy, and imagination.
The Bagamoyo exhibition was both an educational and emotional journey, one that encourages participants to see heritage as a living dialogue between the past and present. The choice of Bagamoyo brought the global narrative of slavery into a local context, allowing residents and visitors to engage with the legacy of the East African coast in new and meaningful ways.The exhibition served as a space for remembrance, education, and reflection. It connected people across generations and cultures, transforming painful memories into lessons for justice and unity. As we remember the past, we are reminded that remembrance is not the end, it is the beginning of understanding. Let us continue to preserve our heritage, share these stories, and stand together in promoting dignity, equality, and peace. The past still speaks, and it calls each of us to listen and act.
School pupils imitating and sketching slave trade associated materials and individuals
Why remembering slave trade matter today?
Remembering the slave trade is not just an act of revisiting painful history, it is more of understanding the roots of injustice and ensuring that such atrocities never repeat. The legacy of slavery that still affects many communities today through acts such as social inequalities, racial discrimination, and human rights challenges. By revisiting this past, societies can confront uncomfortable truths, honor the resilience of those who suffered, and draw lessons for the present. Commemoration becomes an act of healing and awareness to everyone reminding us that freedom, dignity, and justice are not abstract ideals but responsibilities that must be upheld upon building greater future generations. Through remembering, the stories are kept alive, lessons from the past are learnt and a better future based on dignity, equality, justice and human rights is built.