What is it about?
This chapter examines Norway's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy, focusing on historical amnesia, the role of social movements, and media representation. Despite Norway's participation in the Danish-Norwegian Union's slave trade, its history is often minimized or sanitized in national narratives. The chapter highlights the importance of recognizing this history in discussions about reparations and contemporary issues of racism. It analyzes media coverage of Norway's slave trade involvement, noting a tendency to focus on specific events while avoiding discussions about reparations. The authors argue that the media often fail to connect historical injustices with present-day systemic racism, perpetuating a cycle of misrecognition and white innocence. The chapter advocates for incorporating untold narratives into the Norwegian national curriculum, promoting critical race theory, and encouraging students to explore the intersectionality of race, social status, and power dynamics. It also emphasizes the importance of counter-storytelling to challenge stereotypes and foster a deeper understanding of historical and ongoing racial injustices.
Featured Image
Photo by 99.films on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Understanding Norway's role in the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy is important for several reasons: 1. Confronting Historical Amnesia: It challenges the selective memory or minimization of Norway's involvement in slavery, promoting a more complete and honest understanding of its past. 2. Addressing Systemic Racism: Recognizing historical injustices helps to contextualize and address contemporary issues of systemic or structural racism in Norwegian society. It provides a foundation for understanding how historical inequalities persist in present-day systems and institutions. 3. Promoting Social Justice and Equity: Acknowledging the historical exploitation and dehumanization of enslaved people can foster a greater sense of social justice and equity. 4. Encouraging Critical Thinking: Analyzing media representations and historical narratives encourages critical thinking about power dynamics, historical representation, and the construction of collective memory. 5. Informing Education: The chapter advocates for incorporating these untold narratives into the Norwegian national curriculum, which would promote a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the country's history. In essence, understanding Norway's role in the slave trade is crucial for fostering a more just, equitable, and historically aware society. It can contribute to dismantling systemic racism, promoting inclusivity, and encouraging critical engagement with the past and present.
Perspectives
From our perspective, this exploration is not merely an academic exercise but a call to action. It emphasizes the urgent need to incorporate these untold narratives into educational frameworks, enabling future generations to critically examine power dynamics and challenge existing inequalities. We believe that acknowledging and understanding this history is essential for fostering a more just and equitable society, where historical injustices are not forgotten but actively addressed through meaningful dialogue, reparative measures, and a commitment to dismantling systemic racism. Only then can we hope to move towards a future where the principles of equality and human dignity are truly upheld for all.
Dr Paul Thomas
University of South-Eastern Norway
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Slavery, Reparations and Black Lives Matter, June 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004737945_002.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
