By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama has warned that policies that suppress the teaching and discussion of slavery are gradually normalising a dangerous form of historical erasure.
Speaking at a high-level special event on reparatory justice for enslaved Africans in the United States on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the president said attempts to remove or distort the history of slavery from education systems and public discourse risk undermining truth and justice.
According to him, “erasure begins with language”, stressing that the way history is described can either preserve truth or distort it. He noted that some institutions are increasingly avoiding the realities of slavery through the use of softened language and selective teaching.
President Mahama explained that the transatlantic slave trade was not just an economic system but a deliberate effort to deny African people their humanity.
He said enslaved Africans were treated as property rather than human beings, leading to widespread atrocities and long-lasting injustice.
“There is no such thing as a slave; there were human beings who were trafficked and enslaved,” he said, adding that acknowledging this distinction is key to restoring dignity and historical truth.
He further highlighted that more than 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken from their homes over a period of 400 years, with many dying during the Middle Passage due to inhumane conditions.
The president also pointed to ongoing global trends where aspects of Black history, slavery and racism are being removed from school curricula, banned in books or restricted in public institutions. He warned that such actions are gradually shaping a false narrative and weakening collective memory.
“These policies are becoming a template for others and are normalising erasure,” he said.
President Mahama stressed that the resolution declaring the trafficking and enslavement of Africans a crime against humanity is important for global acknowledgement and healing. He described it as a pathway to reparatory justice and a safeguard against forgetting.
He called on the international community to remain committed to telling the full truth about slavery, reclaiming the dignity of Africans and ensuring that future generations understand the realities of the past.
The president concluded by urging continued global solidarity in the pursuit of justice, equality and the preservation of historical truth.
