Multi-million dollar project addresses slavery’s legacy on historic estate

he Codrington estate in St John is at the centre of an $18 million reconciliation initiative aimed at addressing the historical atrocities of transatlantic slavery.

The project, set to be unveiled on Africa Union-CARICOM Day, will seek to benefit communities on the lands of the former sugar plantation owned by the 17th-century slaveholder Christopher Codrington.

The initiative is spearheaded by the legacy organisations controlling the estate – the Codrington Trust and the British-based United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), the Anglican successor body to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts(SPG), which took over Codrington’s bequest upon his death in 1710.

The SPG used the plantation’s proceeds to fund the establishment of Codrington College from 1745, making it one of the oldest theological seminaries in the Americas.

But those proceeds came from the forced labour of most Barbadians’ enslaved ancestors.

As part of the project’s launch, the USPG is set to issue a formal apology, continuing the Anglican Church’s acknowledgement of its historical role in the trafficking and enslavement of African people.

The reconciliation project will involve partnerships with local and regional bodies to allocate funds toward education, entrepreneurship, and community development.

According to historian Kevin Farmer, executive secretary of the Codrington Trust, the initiative is a significant step toward reconciliation, providing opportunities for residents in the area to build a better future.

“The project is based on five pillars that seek to examine and understand the history and legacy of the money earned from the estate,” Farmer explained. “It will also look at who was freed after emancipation in 1838 and what became of them. But more importantly, we are working with the community to identify systems that can help residents pursue educational and entrepreneurial goals.”

He also expressed hope that the project could serve as a model for future slavery reconciliation efforts.

Over a 10-year period, $18 million will be allocated to fund the initiative.

“We see this as the beginning of a larger process around rehabilitation and renewal, especially given the trauma that has taken place on the estate,” he said.

The history of the Codrington estate and its connection to slavery is well documented. Established in the 17th century by Christopher Codrington, the estate was later bequeathed to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) upon the death of Codrington’s grandson, also named Christopher, in 1710. The SPG owned and operated the estate, profiting from the labour of enslaved people until the abolition of slavery in 1833.

The British government compensated the SPG for the 411 slaves it owned as they were considered property. The payout of £8 823.8s.9d after emancipation – now worth £1 316 447.73 ($3 471 672.24) in today’s money was channelled to Codrington College.

David Comissiong, deputy chair of the Barbados National Task Force on Reparations, praised the initiative but distinguished it from broader reparations efforts.

“While this project is admirable and praiseworthy, we do not consider it to be a reparations or a reparatory justice project. Rather, it is a social justice project rooted in the ecumenical outreach and principles of the USPG,” Comissiong said.

Comissiong further noted that the Task Force, as the national body established by the Barbados government to address reparations, remains the appropriate entity for any official discussions on reparations with the USPG or the Church of England. He commended the church’s acknowledgement of its role in slavery, expressing hope that this initiative would strengthen the case for reparatory justice.

The project will be governed by an 11-member Steering Committee, chaired by prominent historian Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and include representatives from the Codrington Trust, the USPG, and the Barbadian community. The committee will guide the project’s operations and oversee the work of Farmer and Reverend Dr Duncan Dormer, general secretary of the USPG.

The representatives of the Codrington Trust on the Steering Committee are led by the Most Reverend Dr Gregory Howard, the Archbishop of the Church in the Province of the West Indies and Bishop of Jamaica and include Marva Howell, Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector and Canon Dr Michael Clarke, principal of Codrington College.

The USPG members include the Chair of Trustees, the Right Reverend Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester.

The reconciliation project is a significant moment in the ongoing process of addressing the legacy of slavery in Barbados. But there remains an underlying expectation for deeper discussions on reparations between the USPG and the government.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb