Caribbean leaders, during a Caricom meeting in Barbados, underscored the importance of pursuing reparations for slavery as an act of justice. Prime Minister Gaston Browne emphasized that they are not seeking handouts but rather a resolution and acknowledgment of historical wrongs. He noted the historical context—over 12.5 million Africans were enslaved, and the region's resources were exploited without compensation. This demand for reparations is a response to the lasting effects of underdevelopment caused by slavery and colonialism. The call for reparations has gained attention, especially after recent discussions about Britain's reluctance to engage with this topic during the Commonwealth summit.
We are asking those who benefited from slavery to confront the historical injustices and the consequences that have shaped our current realities.
What we're seeking here is a final resolution of this issue and a reset in the relationship between the Caribbean and Europe.
Our forebears were treated as chattels, they worked for hundreds of years and were not paid. That created a debt.
Reparations are about addressing the legacies of underdevelopment which have been caused by native genocide and the enslavement of African bodies.
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