Premiere in France. The gesture made by the descendant of a family with a major role in the slave trade, at the “beacon of humanity”
An 86-year-old man presented at an event in Nantes on Saturday what is believed to be the first official apology by a person in France for the role of his ancestors in the transatlantic slave trade, according to Reuters.
The ancestors of Pierre Guillon de Prince, of Nantes, the largest French port for the transatlantic slave trade, were ship owners and transported about 4,500 enslaved Africans. They owned plantations in the Caribbean region.
Guillon de Prince said that other French families must also confront their historical ties to slavery and that the state should go beyond symbolic gestures in this regard and also provide reparations.
“Faced with the rise of racism in our society, I felt a responsibility not to allow this past to be erased,” the man said, adding that he wanted to pass on the family history to his grandchildren.
A mast that will serve as a “beacon of humanity”
He apologized for his ancestors' role in the slave trade at an event in Nantes on Saturday before unveiling an 18-metre replica of the ship's mast. Dieudonné Boutrin, a descendant of slaves from the Caribbean island of Martinique, also attended the gathering.
The two work together at Coque Nomade-Fraternité, an association dedicated to “breaking the silence” on slavery, and said that mast will serve as a “beacon of humanity.”
“Many families of descendants of slave traders do not dare to speak out for fear of reopening old wounds and anger,” Boutrin, 61, said. “Pierre's apology is a brave act,” he added.
Beginning in the 15th century and ending in the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and transported by force, mostly on European ships. France trafficked around 1.3 million people.
Guillon de Prince's gesture follows similar moves by families in the UK and elsewhere – moves that, in some cases, also involve pledges to help repair the damage caused by ancestors.
Transatlantic slavery, recognized by France as a crime against humanity
France recognized transatlantic slavery as a crime against humanity in 2001.
In his terms, President Emmanuel Macron has expanded access to archives on the country's colonial past, and last year announced the creation of a commission to examine the history of relations with Haiti, without mentioning possible reparations.
In March, France abstained from a UN vote on an African-sponsored resolution declaring slavery “the worst crime against humanity” and calling for reparations.
