Free at Last

To mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade the notorious slave ship The Zong sailed back up the Thames and into London, mooring at Tower pier. The ship, a replica of the 18th century wooden rigger, was in London to form part of an exhibition exploring the history and legacy of the European slave trade. The original ship was at the centre of an infamous court case in 1783 after 133 slaves were thrown overboard in what was an insurance scam.



The exhibition named 'Free at Last' ran from the 30th March to the 9th April and I managed to be one of the many that visited it.



On board the ship what surprises you first is how small the hold is. The ship has a capacity of around 200 and would often go out carrying over 400 slaves; all packed in an area barely the size of an average single room. Standing in the hold looking at the diagram of how the slaves were contained gave life to the expression 'packed like sardines.'



And then there's the chains placed around their necks, arms and legs: they were heavy as hell!!! Had to be at least 15kg and were a dead ringer for the gold ropes and diamond encrusted pieces of today.



The exhibition was both informative and daunting. Did you know that an estimated 27 million people are in slavery today? Even though only a replica the ship's affect is very real. It would be great to have it as a permanent fixture in London as the group is campaigning for: CLICK TO SIGN PETITION



Maybe we need a black superhero... what about the militant black guy???


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