Why are some Caribbean nations demanding slavery reparations?
Oct 27, 2023
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Caribbean nations are demanding reparations from former colonial powers for their involvement in slavery. Anselm Gibbs explains the specific demands and forms reparations can take. Akeem Chandler-Prescod describes how the legacy of slavery impacts Barbados and the influence of the racial justice movement in the US. Laura Trevelyan discusses why her family made a donation for economic development in Grenada. The podcast explores the responses of British and French officials and the challenges in quantifying reparations.
The Caribbean reparations movement seeks acknowledgment, apology, and compensation from former colonial powers for their role in slavery.
Reparations can take various forms, including formal apologies, cultural preservation, debt cancellation, and monetary compensation.
Deep dives
The Caribbean Reparations Movement
The podcast episode explores the Caribbean reparations movement, which advocates for European countries to acknowledge their role in slavery, apologize, and provide compensation. This movement highlights that the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination still impacts people's lives in the Caribbean today. The episode discusses how countries in the Caribbean were left impoverished after slavery ended, leading to calls for reparations. The Caracom Reparations Commission has put forth a 10-point plan, including demands for formal apologies, cultural preservation, debt cancellation, and monetary compensation.
Mixed Responses from Colonial Powers
The podcast reveals a mixed response from former colonial powers to demands for reparations from Caribbean nations. While some nations have accepted responsibility and apologized, others have refused. The episode mentions Prince William's visit to Jamaica, where he condemned slavery but stopped short of apologizing. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, stated they would not apologize but focus on creating an inclusive and tolerant society. Similarly, France's highest court rejected a request for reparations. The episode notes that the successes of the reparations movement lie in generating conversations and sparking interest in reparations globally, rather than financial compensation.
Individual and Family Initiatives
The podcast highlights individual and family initiatives within the reparations movement. It features the Trebellian family, who donated over $120,000 to education projects in Grenada as compensation for their involvement in slavery. The episode includes an interview with Laura Trebellian, who reflected on the family's history and expressed feelings of shame and the need for solutions. Additionally, the podcast interviews a poet from Barbados named Akim, who emphasizes that while money cannot fully repair the damage caused by slavery, it can address some current issues. He raises the question of how to quantify reparations for different territories and populations.
Across the Caribbean, governments are demanding that former colonial powers, like the U.K., France and The Netherlands, pay reparations for their involvement in slavery.
Anselm Gibbs, a BBC reporter in Trinidad and Tobago, explains what forms reparations can take and describes the specific demands that Caribbean nations have put forward.
We also hear from Akeem Chandler-Prescod, a member of the Barbados National Task Force on Reparations and his country’s Poet of The Year. He describes how the legacy of slavery still impacts people in Barbados centuries later and how the racial justice movement in the United States has inspired many Bajans to join the reparations movement.
Many European governments have refused to pay reparations. However, some individual families with historic links to slavery have decided to make payments. Laura Trevelyan, a former BBC reporter, explains why her family donated £100,000 ($120,000) to establish a community fund for economic development on the impoverished island of Grenada.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams, Chelsea Coates and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks
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