The International Slavery Museum (ISM) is a museum located within Liverpool’s Albert Dock, inside the Merseyside Maritime Museum building, England that focuses on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The museum was opened on 23 August 2007, designated by UNESCO as Slavery Remembrance Day. The museum which forms part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, consists of three main galleries which looks at the lives of people in West Africa, their eventual enslavement, and their continued fight for freedom. In addition, the museum discusses slavery in the modern day as well as topics on racism and discrimination.
At the beginning of the museum, youngsters can tour the Igbo family replica and learn about traditional African Culture. The museum aims to promote the understanding of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade and the impact the system has had on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe. The story proceeds to enslavement, of which features a walk-in audio visual display which capturing the horrors and conditions the slaves on slave ships across the Atlantic endured. This chapter of the museum is narrated by the people that were stripped of their identities and treated as animals by crews.
The final section of the museum looks collects the reminders of racism and discrimination faced by the Black population even after the abolition of the slave trade. However, this is not the end of the exhibition, the museum delves into the spirit shown by the people of African descent and how this influenced the societies of culture of America and Europe today. It also addresses issues of freedom, identity, human rights, reparations, racial discrimination and cultural change.
Visitors are encouraged to visit the Black Achievers Wall, the Freedom Wall and to visit the Campaign Zone which most times displays exhibitions on how millions all over the world are still being sold as objects and how they are forced to work for little or no pay.
