Cover image: Christiane Taubira, author of the Loi Taubira
Philippe Grangeaud - photographer
CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0

May 10, 2026 is the 25th anniversary of the unanimous passage of the Loi Taubira - the law that declares slavery and the slave trade crimes against humanity - by the French Senate.

May 21, 2026 is the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of this law.

A national day of commemoration of the law has been observed on May 10 of each year since 2006.

Jacques Martial at the 2007 commemorative ceremony
Luxembourg Garden
© Entrée to Black Paris

France's overseas departments commemorate its passage on dates that are specific to their history:

Mayotte - April 27

Martinique - May 27

Guadeloupe - May 27

Saint-Martin - May 28

French Guiana - June 10

Saint Barthelemy (Saint Barts) - October 9

Reunion Island - December 20

Additionally, France and its overseas departments honor the memory of the victims of slavery on May 23 of each year.

This year, the Fondation pour la mémoire de l’esclavage (FME - Foundation for the Remembrance of Slavery) and the Centre des monuments nationaux (National Monuments Center) have organized the “Temps des Mémoires (Time for Memories) 2026,” a series of events running roughly from the end of April to June 10 that recognizes all the national and local dates that mark the history of slavery, the slave trade, and their abolitions.

(Slavery was abolished twice in France - first in 1794 and permanently in 1848.)

With the support of the Ministry of Culture, FME has also invited French museums to create presentations of their collections that highlight the history of the memory of slavery with the intent to raise awareness among a wider audience about this chapter of France's history. According to a report by France-Guyane, over 50 museums responded to the invitation.

The series launched during the weekend of April 25-26 at Hôtel de la Marine, headquarters of the FME, in Paris. It honored the date of the 1848 abolition decree with programming that included concerts (Gwo Ka), choreographic and musical performances, a memorial walk, and a conference‑debate on the 25 years of the Loi Taubira. This building is the site where Victor Schoelcher wrote the 1848 abolition decree.

Hôtel de la Marine - façade
© Entrée to Black Paris

After being held in La Rochelle in 2024 and Brest in 2025, the national May 10 commemorative ceremony returns to Paris' Luxembourg Garden this year.

Commemoration plaque and Le Cri, L'Ecrit
Luxembourg Garden
© Entrée to Black Paris

Additional Paris events include the following:

The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac will host the “Esclavage & Cinéma – 25 ans de la loi Taubira” film festival on Saturday 16 May 2026. Find the program HERE.

The Institut du Tout-Monde will host Les Poétiques de Christiane Taubira (The Poetics of Christiane Taubira) at La Maison de Poésie on the evening of Friday, May 22.

For the 18th consecutive year, Claude Ribbe and the Friends of General Dumas Association are pleased to invite the general public to their Parisian ceremony on Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 6:00 p.m..

It will be held in front of the Fers Monument dedicated to General Dumas at Place du Général-Catroux, 75017 Paris (Metro: Malesherbes, Line 3).

Fers
Place du Général Catroux
© Entrée to Black Paris

The event is free, but you must register to attend: https://signup.ymlp.com/xgejushbgmguy

The media has also planned special events.

To commemorate the May 10 anniversary date, the Overseas division of France Télévisions is mobilizing its entire editorial staff, on both television and radio.

France 2 and France TV screened a 52-minute documentary called Christiane Taubira, une loi pour memoire (Christiane Taubira, A Law for Memory) on May 6. France TV is making it available online at no charge through October 28, 2026.

On May 13, France 2 will rebroadcast a documentary called Aux origines, l'esclavage (At the origins, slavery)—a film that follows French celebrities and others on a genealogical quest for their ancestors.