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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - People across the Caribbean bowed their heads for a moment of silence Sunday to mark the 200th anniversary of the end of Britain's trans-Atlantic slave trade, which claimed millions of lives and shaped the region's history.
In Jamaica, islanders held symbolic funeral rites in Kingston Harbour for African slaves who died during the perilous ocean crossing. In Dominica, there was an evening ceremony at the Baracoon building, where slaves were held for auction. In Guyana, the tribute was held in the compound of parliament buildings where slaves were beaten and sometimes hanged.
"We unite as a region and as a people, in a collective moment of reflection, as we remember one of the greatest tragedies in the history of humanity, which denied over 25 million Africans, for over 400 years, the basic human right of freedom, the right to self actualization and for so many, denial of even their basic right to life," said Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and chairman of the Caribbean Community.
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