Entrée to Black Paris Blog

Thursday, May 25th, 2023

May 23 - France's Day to Remember the Victims of Slavery

Cover Image: Limyè Ba Yo - stage banner
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Earlier this week, I attended a Limyè Ba Yo (Light on our Ancestors) event for the first time. It was held on Tuesday, May 23 in commemoration of the victims of slavery in France.

May 23 became the official date for this commemoration* on May 2, 2008, when an announcement was published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française. Part of the text of this announcement reads as follows (paraphrased):

"For associations that bring together France's citizens from overseas departments, May 23 will be the date of the commemoration of the painful past of their ancestors that must not be forgotten."

This year's ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of the Silent March of May 23, 1998, during which ~40,000 people remembered their ancestors who suffered the slave trade and slavery in France's colonies of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, and Reunion Island in a procession from Place de la République to Place de la Nation. The committee that organized the march (CM98) has undertaken genealogical research to uncover the names of the people enslaved in these colonies and publishes them each year.

The national ceremony took place in the gardens of the Ministry of Overseas Departments in the 7th arrondissement.

Crowd gathered for May 23 ceremony
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Journalist Marie-Christine Ponnamalé served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Marie-Christine Ponnamalé
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The event opened with speeches by Emmanuel Gordien, president of CM98; Romuald Fonkoua, president of the scientific council of the Fondation de la mémoire pour l'esclavage; Serge Romana of the Fondation Esclavage et Réconciliation, and Jean-François Carenco, Minister Delegate in charge of Overseas Departments.

Emmanuel Gordien
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Romuald Fonkoua
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Serge Romana
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Jean-François Carenco
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Representatives of these associations placed flowers in front of the Tree of Liberty, planted by then Minister of Overseas Departments Annick Girardin in the garden in 2018.

Tree of Liberty
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Flowers at the base of the Tree of Liberty
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Plaque at the base of the Tree of Liberty
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MC Ponnamalé invited representatives of two families - one from Martinique and one from Guadeloupe - to place their flowers in front of the tree.

All the dignitaries who attended the event then lined up in front of the tree and the podium, and a minute of silence was observed.

As a magnificent a cappella group called Gospel Voices sang a powerful melody called "Pou Yo," the flowers placed in front of the tree were moved to the base of two panels that named ancestors who were enslaved in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Attendees from the general public were encouraged to place their own flowers at the base as well.

Gospel Voices
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Placing flowers at the base of the name panels
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Thirty-eight (38) additional plaques bearing names and locations in Martinique and Guadeloupe lined one of the sidewalks bordering the garden. Among them was a panel in English that explained the process of providing names to the newly liberated people of these two islands between 1848 and 1869.

After the ceremony, the crowd was treated to traditional/modern dance and musical entertainment.

CM98 had a large stand in the garden, where people could learn about having their family lineage investigated.

Two organizations - Le Mabouya Caribbean Street Food and Instant Sucré Salé - provided food and liquid refreshment.

The weather was fine (if a bit chilly), the ceremony was quite moving, and the entertainment was superb!

To learn more about the work of CM98, visit their Website (in French) at http://cm98.fr/.

*May 10 is the other official date that anchors the month of May as France's "Black History Month." It commemorates France's history of slavery, the slave trade, and their abolition.