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Emancipation Day, August 1, should be an official British bank holiday 
Racism benefits from a benign narrative that distances present-day injustices from past oppression, which is why it’s so important to highlight slavery as a vital chapter of our collective past, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE MP

WE ARE approaching a monumental day in British and world history, yet one which is barely recognised or commemorated in Britain. 

On August 1 1834, decades of anti-slavery campaigning culminated in the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

In many of Britain’s former colonies this date is celebrated as Emancipation Day with either a bank holiday or a day of cultural activities.

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