Barbados forms alliance with AU in reparations fight

Barbados is set to take its fight for slavery reparations to the United Nations in a historic joint effort with the African Union (AU), Minister of Pan-African Affairs and Heritage Trevor Prescod has said.

The announcement follows the minister’s recent return from an official visit to Ghana alongside Prime Minister Mia Mottley. During the trip, Barbadian officials engaged in intense global dialogues regarding historical justice.

“We were very much involved in discussion for a number of days about reparations and the idea of carrying the resolution of reparations as far as the United Nations,” the minister explained.

The summit in Accra featured powerful reenactments of the transatlantic slave trade and brought together global figures, including the son of Marcus Garvey and civil rights activist Al Sharpton. Prime Minister Mottley and the President of Ghana both delivered addresses to a diverse international delegation.

Reflecting on the deep cultural ties, the minister said Barbadian history extends far beyond colonial settlement.

“Barbadians must understand that heritage doesn’t begin at any specific point, that our heritage is not post-1627, but our heritage also relates back to the West African coast,” the minister concluded. “The debate is global now.”