A History of Coffee BONUS: Decolonising Coffee History
Jun 22, 2021
In this thought-provoking discussion, historian Jonathan Morris, author of *Coffee: A Global History*, and Peter D'Sena, a key figure in the decolonising academic movement, unpack the dark colonial roots of coffee. They reveal how colonial exploitation shaped the coffee industry and its lingering impact on racial identities today. The conversation delves into the legacies of indentured labor and the need to rethink our coffee consumption, urging a reconsideration of historical injustices and a path toward decolonising this beloved beverage.
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Decolonization Explained
- Decolonization seeks to address the exploitation of land, bodies, and minds under colonialism.
- It aims to reclaim identities, values, and knowledge systems suppressed by colonizers.
18th-Century Coffee Consumption
- In the 1750s, Europeans enjoyed coffee from the Caribbean, produced by enslaved Africans.
- Coffee houses were social hubs for the upper-middle class, unaware of the exploitation behind their beverage.
Daily Life of Enslaved Africans
- Enslaved Africans in the Caribbean endured brutal conditions, working six days a week with minimal food and rest.
- They faced constant surveillance and harsh punishments, including whippings, detailed in coffee production manuals.