A LEGACY OF BLACK ACHIEVEMENT
An exhibition titled “A Legacy of Black Achievement” was on display in the Visitors’ Lobby of United Nations Headquarters in New York from 8 to 29 March 2017.
Produced by the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and adapted from that institution’s Black Achievers Wall gallery, the exhibition featured 21 notable personalities from various backgrounds, eras, regions and disciplines who paved the way for civil and human rights, as well as recognition and justice for people of African descent in Africa, Europe, the Americas and across the globe.
“A Legacy of Black Achievement” was presented in partnership with the United Nations Department of Public Information’s Remember Slavery Programme, and was on display during the commemorative events associated with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. “This exhibit fits perfectly with the 2017 theme for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which is ‘Remember Slavery: Recognizing the Legacy and Contributions of People of African Descent’,” said Maher Nasser, Acting UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. “It reminds us of the ways in which the people of Africa and their descendants have helped to shape societies across the globe,” he added. “In a world where racism and prejudice have not yet been stamped out, it is crucial that we remember and honour such contributions.”
Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, said: “The International Slavery Museum is incredibly pleased to have collaborated with the United Nations and the Remember Slavery Programme on this marvellous and timely exhibition. The Black Achievers Wall in Liverpool is one of our most important displays as it highlights the many forms of achievement — often in the face of great adversity and difficulties — that have taken place both during and since the transatlantic slave trade era. These remarkable feats have an enormously positive effect on visitors to the Museum, particularly younger visitors, and I’m sure this will also be the case in New York.”
