Latest Slavery News

UN report on Ecuador links crime with poverty, faults government for not ending bonded labor
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A U.N. envoy urged Ecuador's leaders Friday to boost enforcement of labor laws and end popular fuel subsidies as part of key policy changes needed alongside their continuing efforts to combat the drug-related crime that has undermined the country's peaceful image. ...

Savannah picks emancipated Black woman to replace name of slavery advocate on historic square
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's oldest city, steeped in history predating the American Revolution, made a historic break with its slavery-era past Thursday as Savannah's city council voted to rename a downtown square in honor of a Black woman who taught formerly enslaved people to read and write....

Descendants of a British owner of slaves in Guyana apologize as Caribbean nation seeks reparations
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The descendants of a 19th-century Scottish sugar and coffee planter who owned thousands of slaves in Guyana apologized Friday for the sins of their ancestor, calling slavery a crime against humanity with lasting negative impacts. Charles Gladstone, a...

President of Guyana demands slavery reparations ahead of apology from plantation owner descendants
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana president Irfaan Ali on Thursday lashed out at the descendants of European slave traders, saying those who profited from the cruel, trans-Atlantic slave trade should offer to pay reparations to today’s generations. The leader of the South American...

Rhiannon Giddens is as much scholar as musician. Now, she's showing her saucy side in a new album
NEW YORK (AP) — Most people familiar with singer Rhiannon Giddens know her scholarly side. She won a MacArthur “genius grant” for her work making sure the contributions of Black Americans aren't ignored in the history of folk and country music. Earlier this year, she earned a...

Savannah considers Black people and women for city square to replace name of slavery advocate
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Nine months after leaders of Georgia's oldest city stripped the name of a pro-slavery U.S. vice president from one of its public squares, nominees being considered for the green space's new name include a Black woman who taught formerly enslaved people to read...

It's Kamala Harris vs. Ron DeSantis in the fight over Florida's new teachings on slavery
WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, facing heavy criticism for defending “anti-woke” teaching in Florida, this week teed up an unusual proposal to the nation's first Black vice president: Come debate the merits of the state's new curriculum on African-American history. ...

Scott criticizes DeSantis over his support for Florida's slavery curriculum as they stump in Iowa
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has criticized fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting new standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that "could be applied for their...

Citigroup says some predecessor companies likely saw indirect financial benefits from slavery
NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the companies that formed what is now Citigroup likely benefitted financially from slavery in the 1800's, the financial giant acknowledged Thursday, an admission that comes at a time when numerous institutions are re-examining their historic roots and the roles they played...

Harris says Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis are 'propaganda'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said extremists want to “replace history with lies" as she traveled to Florida on Friday to assail Republican efforts to overhaul educational standards, plunging into a battle over schooling that has rippled through classrooms around the country. ...
