Groningen metropolis apologizes for historical past of slavery

The metropolis of Groningen has apologized for its metropolis council’s position within the historical past of slavery. Mayor Schuyling apologized to the descendants of slaves at a gathering held on behalf of the municipality tonight.

The metropolis council is responding to the outcomes. of analysis This is what the municipality did, constructing on Groningen’s slavery previous. The examine discovered that Groningen performed a key position inside the West India Company (WIC), which transported roughly 300,000 slaves from Africa to the United States.

According to researchers, metropolis and native directors served on the WIC board and made cash by transporting and promoting slaves. Groningen was additionally WIC’s ninth shareholder and was subsequently liable for each ninth vessel deployed.

According to researchers, the Groningen ship forcibly transported round 33,000 folks from West Africa to Central and South America. About 13% of the slaves wouldn’t have survived the crossing. Researchers additionally found hyperlinks between Groningen and the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Schuiling mentioned the examine’s conclusions had been “embarrassingly clear.” RTV North.

“Groningen directors intentionally and repeatedly selected to complement themselves on the expense of freedom, human dignity and the lives of slaves,” he mentioned in his speech. “And not solely have they enabled these practices, they’ve additionally perpetuated them. That’s disagreeable.” There was dancing and poetry studying at a particular gathering tonight.

native authorities desires two separate monuments One is for victims of the slave commerce between Africa and the Americas, and the opposite is for victims of the Asian slave commerce that came about in what was then the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).

According to Schuiling, management is given to the descendants of slaves in order that the monument “defines their hopes, traditions, and feelings.”

The mayor additionally expressed respect for many who made analysis into the historical past of slavery attainable. “You have succeeded in making seen and discussing one thing that was beforehand coated up and coated up.”