Breaking Silence: A First Apology for French Slave Trade Ties

Pierre Guillon de Prince, from a family involved in France's transatlantic slave trade, issued a landmark apology urging other families and the government to consider reparations. His gesture was part of a broader movement towards acknowledging historical ties to slavery and addressing these with genuine actions.

Pierre Guillon de Prince, an 86-year-old Frenchman, on Saturday delivered a historic apology for his family's involvement in transatlantic slavery, becoming the first in France to do so.

De Prince, with ancestors from Nantes, France's main port for the slave trade, called on the French government and other families to confront their historical roles and consider reparations sincerely.

His apology precedes the unveiling of a replica ship mast, symbolizing hope and humanity, in collaboration with a descendant of enslaved people. This act aligns with rising calls for global reparations, despite resistance.