The March of the Abolitionists is a walk of reconciliation that offers an apology for the Atlantic slave trade and sees white people donning yokes and chains. The march visits Plymouth on Tuesday 12 June and Exeter on the following day. It's the second stage of the Sankofa Reconciliation Walk, which began in March 2007 with a 250-mile walk from Hull to Westminster.  | | Walking in yokes and chains |
The walkers set off again from Deptford in south-east London on Monday 4 June on a route that will link former slave ports including London, Bristol, Plymouth, Exeter, Liverpool, Lancaster and Glasgow. The walk will take in many other towns and cities before it ends on 11 July. Sankofa is an increasingly popular word from the Akan language of West Africa and means 'we must learn from the past to build for the future'. "This is a journey of discovery to learn about the way the Atlantic slave trade has impacted our society right up to the present time," said march organiser David Pott. "We invite people to join us as we aim to bring an apology of substance, seeking reconciliation and the way forward for future generations."  | | Walking towards Westminster in March 2007 |
The march also promotes greater understanding, reconciliation and forgiveness. By remembering the black and white abolitionists of 200 years ago, the march will draw attention to ongoing forms of contemporary slavery and campaign for its abolition. The March of the Abolitionists is the last stage of the epic seven-year journey of the Lifeline Expedition, which is a Christian response to the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade. The expedition has seen descendants of enslaved Africans and white people travel to slavery sites in France (2002), Spain and Portugal (2003), USA (2004), the Caribbean Region (2005) and West Africa (2006). A full itinerary of the walk can be found on the March of the Abolitionists website. | 
