International Day for People of African Descent 2023: Date, History, Famous People

August 31 is observed globally as the International Day for People of African Descent. The aim behind observing this day is to promote the extraordinary contributions of the African descent people all around the world. Declared by the United Nations, the day also focuses on elimination of discrimination of all kind that is often practiced against people of African descent.

International Day for People of African Descent 2023 Date

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for International Day for People of African Descent for the next 5 years.

Quick Overview

Famous People of African Descent making History

People of African descent have made significant contributions towards betterment of the world since as long as one can remember. In recent times also, there have been numerous leaders, sportsperson and other famous personalities of African descent who have been changing the world. Let us know a little bit about these past and present personalities of African descent below:

1. Frederick Douglass- Frederick Douglass was an African-American social reformer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement and became famous for his oratory and antislavery writings.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.- Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist. He was the most visible spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.
3. Rosa Parks- Rosa Parks was an American activist of African ancestry in the civil rights movement known for her role in the Montgomery bus boycott. She was honored as “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement” by the United States Congress.
4. Muhammad Ali- Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and activist. Not only was he one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, but also a very high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement.
5. James Baldwin- James Arthur Baldwin was an American writer and activist who garnered acclaim across various mediums, including essays, novels, plays and poems. He was also a well-known, and controversial, public figure and orator, especially during the civil rights movement in the United States.
6. Oprah Winfrey- Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, television producer, author, and philanthropist. Known as the “Queen of All Media”, she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world’s only black billionaire. She is also the greatest black philanthropist in US history.
7. Kamala Harris- Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and attorney. She is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. Kamala is the first female vice president, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.
8. Victor Glover- Glover is the first African American ISS Expedition crewmember to live on the International Space Station (ISS).

Significance

Even after years of progress and advancement in our modern world, people of African descent continue to suffer from racial discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. They are still deprived from full and effective enjoyment of human rights and are forced into labor, slavery and lead a life of poverty.

Voices in their favor still need to reach every corner of the world and everyone should come forward in protection of their rights. International Day for People of African Descent 2023 aims to draw worldwide attention to the problems faced by the people of African Descent.

Check all other days in August

History

Following the events of discrimination against people of African descent, and the sensational murder of George Floyd, the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution on the “Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers”.

The resolution was adopted on 19 June 2020 and the first International Day for People of African Descent was observed in 2021.

Observation

To celebrate International Day of People of African Descent, UN Human Rights holds events to show the important contributions of people of African descent worldwide. Through film, dance and music festivals, provides an opportunity to learn more about diverse cultures of African descent people.

Events highlighting the legacy of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, colonialism, mass incarceration and systemic racism are also organized on the occasion of International Day of People of African Descent celebration.

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