"Faced with the rise of racism in our society, I felt a responsibility not to let this past be erased. Other French families must confront their historical allegiances to slavery and the state should go beyond symbolic gestures to address the past including through reparations."
"Many families of descendants of slave traders don't dare speak out for fear of reopening old wounds and anger. Pierre's apology is a courageous act."
"From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and forcibly transported, mostly on European ships. France trafficked an estimated 1.3 million people."
Pierre Guillon de Prince, an 86-year-old man, issued the first formal apology in France for his family's involvement in transatlantic slavery. His ancestors were shipowners in Nantes, responsible for transporting 4,500 enslaved Africans. Guillon de Prince emphasized the need for other French families to confront their historical ties to slavery and called for reparations beyond symbolic gestures. He delivered the apology at an event in Nantes, alongside Dieudonne Boutrin, a descendant of enslaved people, highlighting the importance of acknowledging this painful history.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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