As Département de La Réunion initiatives mark the 25th anniversary of the Taubira law, local authorities and the Villèle museum have launched a series of public dialogues on the history of slavery led by historian Paulin Ismard. Running through September 2026, the program pairs the expertise of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales professor with regional scholarship to examine the structural mechanics of historical bondage ahead of a planned slavery history museum.
Comparing Ancient Greece and Colonial Bourbon
The September 2026 conference schedule centers on a comparative analysis examining slavery in ancient Greece alongside colonial slavery at Bourbon, according to Département de La Réunion materials. Paulin Ismard, a specialist in ancient Greek institutions and coordinator of the collective volume Les Mondes de l’esclavage, argues that studying these distinct historical frameworks reveals common mechanisms of domination alongside the unique features of individual systems. The sessions aim to investigate how different societies defined servile status, managed the boundary between slavery and freedom, and left lasting social and legal legacies.
Three Public and Educational Encounters
The program spans three distinct dates across the island, engaging teachers, university scholars, and the general public:
- Wednesday, September 9: A conference at 17:45 at the Centre culturel Le Sud in Saint-Pierre tailored specifically for educators, with reservations managed via email at reservationenseignant@gmail.com.
- Thursday, September 10: An open-access public lecture at 17:45 at the University of La Réunion, hosted within the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines in the Amphithéâtre Élie in Saint-Denis.
- Friday, September 11: A broader dialogue bridging global history and local Reunion history featuring Paulin Ismard and historian Prosper Ève, held at 17:45 at the Centre culturel Le Sud in Saint-Pierre, requiring reservations at reservationtoutpublic@gmail.com.
Informing the Future Museum of Slavery
According to Département de La Réunion announcements, this academic programming directly supports the ongoing development of the island’s upcoming museum dedicated to the history of slavery. Organizers intend for these public discussions to address core curatorial questions facing the future institution: how to balance local and global histories, articulate the lived experiences of enslaved individuals, and transmit this complex history to younger generations a quarter-century after the passage of the 2001 Taubira law.
Worth a look