The debate around reparations for slavery is a deeply emotional one that cuts to the core of Barbadian notions of justice and accountability. Thus it ought to be. As descendants of those who suffered unimaginable cruelties, it is natural for the majority population to feel a burning desire to see proper restitution and atonement. At the same time, this nation is guided not just by the passions of the moment, but by enduring principles of the rule of law and human rights. Thus it must be.
The acquisition of land from the Drax family estate may on the face of it appear to represent further compensation to the descendants of slaveholders rather than reparatory justice. But, we must separate the legitimate process of land acquisition for public use from the broader issue of reparations.
The need for more housing is clear; if land is required for this purpose, the government has a legal duty to follow proper procedures of acquisition and compensation as it would with any landowner. This is separate and distinct from the question of whether the Drax family itself should be required to make other forms of atonement or restitution for its historical ties to the horrific injustice of slavery.
While an understandable source of pain, the acquisition of this particular land should be viewed through an objective lens of the modern rule of law, not rewritten based on historical grievances. To do otherwise would set a precedent of arbitrary dispossession without due process – the very thing that was at the core of the injustices of slavery and colonialism itself. We do not remedy past wrongs by creating new ones today. We achieved our land tenure revolution through 1910s Panama Canal silver and the 1980 Freehold Tenantry Purchase Act – not Zimbabwe-style dispossession.
Make no mistake, this in no way diminishes the vital importance of pursuing reparations themselves through all legal and diplomatic channels. The regional reparations task force must continue its diligent work studying this intricate and highly charged issue.
The ultimate path forward requires finding a way to make amends for historical injustice through morally legitimate means. We must have the wisdom to blend a passion for justice with fidelity to the rule of law which is ultimately the greatest protector of all our rights – rights and freedoms the purchase of the blood of ancestors. It is through principled discipline that we make whole what has been broken.
CARICOM’s reparations commission has made detailed requests to former colonial powers Britain, France and the Netherlands – valued in the scores of trillions of dollars. Formal apologies, debt cancellation, funding for educational initiatives, and technological transfers are all among the region’s demands – not some cash handout. The region stands on the firm ground of historical fact: the riches extracted through centuries of brutal slavery fuelled the economic rise of these nations at an incalculable human cost. Europe underdeveloped Africa; the Caribbean developed Europe.
The fundamental moral truth remains: one of the greatest crimes against humanity took place here, with impacts still reverberating generations later, at home and abroad, among the descendants of both the enslaved and the oppressor.
It should not escape the attention of those who oppose the Drax acquisition that the descendants of enslaving landowners also reside here, carrying Barbadian passports, not sitting in the halls of a former coloniser’s parliament. So complexity, nuance and nimbleness of thought are required, even as we reckon with the bitter legacy of those who were enslaved, brutalised, forcibly uprooted and stripped of their dignity, identity and ancestral heirlooms.
Historian Sir Hilary Beckles, the head of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, makes a compelling moral, historical, legal and contemporary case for reparations from the rulers of the day who sat in Parliament and monarchy and determined policy.
Ultimately, while complex, the pursuit of reparations represents an important step in humanity’s collective reckoning with history’s darkest chapters. The path will not be easy, but full accounting and reconciliation is essential for any society to remain faithful to its highest ideals of equality and human rights. We must continue this journey, no matter how long overdue, with conviction and perseverance.
While the logistical and legal path forward on direct reparations will be lengthy and complex, one area demands immediate corrective action right here at home – the way our history is taught and told in Barbados.
For generations, the realities and generational impacts of slavery have been trivialised, whitewashed or ignored in both education curriculum and public discourse. Generations of Barbadians have grown up disconnected from the full, searing truth of what their ancestors either endured or enacted.
One contemporary amateur historian has even committed a gross oversimplification to print: slavery has been practised since ancient times. Barbadian history needs to be told, neither defanged nor weaponised.
While we are on the subject of the meaningful reconciliation of historical accounts, we can start by reconciling the accounts we give to our own people about this chapter of tragedy and resilience. The British journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s latest book Empireworld on the global impact of British colonialism was inspired by a visit to this country where he encountered our very Barbadian collective historical amnesia.
We should be wary of making strident calls for cash transfers when there is so little transfer of knowledge about the systems of dehumanisation, the destruction of families, the psychological torment, and the economic impacts that lingered long after abolition.
Plots of land are one thing. Where, though, are the spaces for open dialogue about generational trauma that has enduring consequences for our public health and well-being? Where are the stories handed down through families that rarely find their way into textbooks? Where are the public history programmes and memorial projects to ensure these truths become inescapable parts of the national identity and consciousness?
Beyond Drax Hall, the work of understanding the struggle to overcome the past is something that starts at home through our education systems, keepers of our culture, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.
Let’s look past the raw emotion to the raw facts, the enduring consequences, and most importantly, the ubiquitous humanity and inconquerable souls of Bajan folk.
