Angola’s Slavery Museum Confronts the Darkest Horrors of The Trade — and Honors Those Who Fought Back

December 16, 2025

Angola's National Museum of Slavery in Luanda commemorates the city's role as the epicenter of the Atlantic slave trade, from which approximately 45% of the estimated 12. 5 million enslaved Africans were transported between the 1400s and 1867. Located on a former Portuguese colonial estate where enslaved people were forcibly baptized and had their identities stripped away, the museum displays not only the brutal tools and methods of enslavement but also highlights the fierce Angolan resistance that continued through independence in 1975.

Who is affected

Descendants of enslaved Africans, particularly those in the United States and Brazil
Museum staff, including Marlene Ananias Rodrigues Pedro (Head of Department of Scientific Research) and Director José António Fazenda
Researchers in the United States and Brazil collaborating on the archive project
Visitors to the National Museum of Slavery
The Angolan government supporting the digitization effort
People seeking to trace their ancestry through historical records

What action is being taken

The museum is working with researchers in the United States and Brazil to make Angola's archival records accessible
Museum leadership is working with the government to create a digitalized version of the Luanda archives
The team is currently working with professionals to prepare a campaign to collect materials for a functional library
Museum staff are pooling talents and resources with American and Brazilian researchers
They are hoping to raise funds from private donors to support their work

Why it matters

This initiative is significant because Luanda was the departure point for at least 1.6 million enslaved people, with approximately 45% of all enslaved Africans in the Atlantic slave trade coming from the Angola region. The digitization of archives could provide crucial genealogical information to millions of descendants in the Americas seeking to understand their ancestry and heritage. Beyond documenting victimhood, the museum presents a comprehensive historical narrative that includes Angolan resistance to slavery and colonialism, offering a more complete understanding of this dark period in human history. The preservation of these records ensures that future generations can access this critical historical documentation before it deteriorates further in inadequate storage conditions.

What's next

Creating a functional library in a building at the foot of the museum hill
Completing the digitalization of Luanda's archival records
Launching a campaign to collect materials for the library
Securing adequate funding from private donors to support preservation and digitization work
Making the archived materials accessible to researchers and descendants without requiring special permission

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint