Reparation efforts gaining traction in UK

by David Hinkson

The reparatory justice movement is going to become the next great political movement in the world.

Head of the Reparations Task Force and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, made this declaration as he addressed a virtual meeting entitled “Reparations in the 21st Century – Slavery, Colonialism and the Meaning of Reparations” over the weekend.

In his address, Sir Hilary stated that from the very beginning there was opposition to the slave trade not only in the colonies in the West Indies and the Americas, but also on the coast of Africa itself and in the United Kingdom.

“From as early as the 17th century, there was a powerful movement in England against slavery, where people called on local sheriffs and mayors to stop it, and sent petitions to the royal family and the government, but these were brushed aside as those in authority convinced them that it was in the country’s best economic interest.”

He also noted that there were many battles between the enslaved and representatives from the shipping companies on the coast of Africa, and that uprisings broke out on twenty per cent of the slave ships that made their way across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Caribbean.

Sir Hilary continued: “It took us between 300 and 400 years of struggle to end this evil and when the emancipation legislation was passed, it was because they realised it was going to be a great war unless they brought an end to that system.

“But even after emancipation, the struggle went on because it took us all of the 20th century to convert emancipation into human and civil rights, the right to vote, democracy, and independence, but even so, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands still have colonies in the Caribbean.

“However, the 21st century must be the century where we call for justice against slavery and reparations. There must be a compensatory approach to assist these people who are still living in mass poverty, illiteracy, poor public health,
and whose development is being blocked because of the legacy of slavery.”

Meanwhile, at least one major city in the United Kingdom which was built primarily on profits generated by the Trans-Atlantic slave trade is making an effort to take the issue of reparations more seriously and in a tangible fashion.

Deputy Mayor of the city of Bristol, Asha Crowe, said: “Bristol is considered one of the most desirable places to live and work in the UK because of its diverse arts and cultural scene, but many of its residents from the African diaspora are disadvantaged in terms of education, employment opportunities, economic prosperity and health care, and this has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, long before the toppling of statues and the Black Lives Matter movement, we were debating the issue of reparations and atonement within Bristol since it was founded on the profits generated by the slave trade, and after years of debate, in March this year our City Council passed a reparations and atonement motion.”

She stated that “one of the first measures we will take is to launch an initiative known as Project Truth, which will set a path towards community family repairs, because given the psychology of the city African heritage communities are disenfranchised.

This project honours and redresses the silence of our ancestors and their contribution towards nation building both in the past and the present.”

Meanwhile, another speaker from the UK, Wavell Bennett, spoke about going after the commercial banks and other prominent business enterprises founded through profits generated by the slave trade.