Today is Juneteenth, at last freedom and acknowledgement of the end of suppression, the end of slavery, something that should never have happened to mankind. The history of The Netherlands, where I am from, is unfortunately tainted just as much due to the very active slavery trade to keep the farming businesses (plantations) running in the colonies. Sugar, coffee, cotton, spices, fruits, just to name a few crops that were farmed on acres and acres of land all around the Americas to satisfy the needs of the European and American consumers.
If you have never visited an exposition on slavery or Historical Archives either in the US or elsewhere, please do so in the future. What human beings had to go through, is just indescribable, not even a full calendar year of remembrance days will be enough to take away any of the pain and suffering that people of all ages had to endure.
If possible, contribute to creating awareness about this dark period in World History in prison and beyond, by reading and speaking about it. Make art, write poems, songs, stories, just name it. Let us never forget these events and learn one great lesson from this: freedom will come with hard work, patience and perseverance.
Sir Winston Churchill used to say, during World War II: “Never, ever, ever give up!” and that is my advice to you, wholeheartedly.
Sherida Nabi
