Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism.

Many Jamaicans were uncomfortable with the recent visit of Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The British Royal couple visited Jamaica from March 22-24, 2022 in order to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 11 Platinum Jubilee. Jamaica is currently in her 60th year of political independence from England and a robust discussion has ensued in many quarters regarding Jamaica becoming a republic. It is sad, however not surprising that many Jamaicans have not made the connection between the country’s present social and economic conditions to that of the past. Jamaica is a product of years of enslavement and colonization. Unfortunately, Jamaica’s current education system does not support the compulsory teaching of history and as such many of us are unfamiliar with our past. While we are all entitled to our own opinions, we should at all times ensure that our views are based on facts. Many of us were left in utter disbelief recently when during a vox-pop one male participant stated that England does not owe Jamaica reparation. The British government of the day paid 20 million pounds; the equivalent of around 17 billion pounds today to compensate slave owners for the lost capital associated with freeing slaves. There was no compensation given to the freed slaves by the British government. Slavery was abolished in the British West Indies in 1838. There has never been a more deserving and strong case for reparations. Historically, reparation was confined to the realm of war crimes and viewed solely through compensation through financial means, however, reparation as a movement has evolved, and indeed reparation is much more than financial compensation. Those of us who choose not to support the cause for reparatory justice continue to perpetuate another layer of injustice not only to our African ancestry but also to our self. The term reparation is of Latin origin and means to repair. In International Law it is a well-known principle that those nations or individuals who have wronged other nations or individuals should make reparation to fix the damage which has been suffered. CARICOM’s 10 Point Action Plan The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) in collaboration with the Centre for Reparation Research have developed ten points outlining the route to truth, justice and reconciliation for negotiations for reparation with Denmark, France, Spain, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom and other European States. Among the points are; a full and formal apology from our colonizer England. This long awaited apology was not to be during the reply by Prince William at the State dinner held at Kings House. William said, "I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent, and it should never have happened.” Yes, William denounced slavery however; he stopped short of apologizing for his family's historic role in the slave trade. William was born into an aristocratic family of privilege, white privilege. Frankly speaking, William has no idea how abhorrent slavery was. The British Royal Family was instrumental in the perpetuation of the slave trade which ended in 1804. An apology from William, the future king of England would set in motion the wheels of slavery reparations. The British Royal family like all the royal families across Europe benefitted immensely from the hard work sweat and tears from our ancestors who worked themselves to death on the plantations to build the United Kingdom and Europe. The African Holocaust For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history. In commemoration of the memory of the victims, the General Assembly, in its resolution 62/122 of 17 December 2007, declared 25 March the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to be observed annually. Since then, March 25 is commemorated as the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade has offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. This year’s theme is: Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism. As Jamaicans we are the legacies of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. Undoubtedly, the transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in history and is undeniably one of if not the most inhumane acts against any set of people. The widespread exodus of more than 15 million African men, women and children from the motherland was conducted over 400 hundred years. The African Holocaust or Maafa involved numerous European powers such as Spain, Britain, Denmark, and The Netherlands who were all responsible for the trafficking of our ancestors. In the British West Indies the slavery system was referred to as Chattel Slavery. This was a system whereby the slaves and their offspring were enslaved during their lifetime and were the sole property of the owner. The slaves were be bought and sold as commodities. The Slave Voyages Database produced by David Eltis and his colleagues estimate that between 1626 and 1808, some 3,429 voyages were made to Jamaica, transporting an estimated 1.21 million Africans to work on sugar estates, coffee plantations, wharves, domestic households and livestock farms on the island. There is much that we know about the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, and today is a day we remember: the crime against humanity; the unprecedented mass human trafficking; the degrading economic transactions and unspeakable human rights violations. According to the United Nations (UN), there is also much that we do not know, and today is a day we learn. Behind the facts and figures are millions of human stories there are stories of untold suffering and pain. Stories of families and communities ripped apart. We need to teach more about the stories of awe-inspiring courage and defiance of our ancestors against the cruelty of oppressors. Our students need to hear the stories of Paul Bogle and the countless others who died at the hands of British colonizers. Slavery is an unnatural act, and as such the enslaved Africans resisted both in the passive and active domains. Passive resistance included running away from the plantations as was the situation regarding the Maroons. Starvation and sabotage were also other forms of passive resistance to slavery. Active Resistance which includes the following: suicide and infanticide. Additionally, there were open Revolts and Rebellions. The Major Revolts in the British West Indies. Barbados Rebellion in 1816: In 1816 a major rebellion broke out led by an African born slave Bussa. It was spread across one third of the island and included seventy plantations. It was properly organized by the slaves wanting their freedom and a better way of life. By the time the revolt was over a quarter of the sugar cane crop was lost. It resulted in the execution of 214 slaves and the displacement of others who were sold off or shipped out. However it did accomplish a tremendous loss of income to the plantation owners. The Demerara Rebellion in 1823: With sugar prices down slaves were pushed harder in the sugar cane fields so as to increase the production levels. This resulted in a major rebellion in 1823 in Demerara organized by Quamina and Smith. It involved about 9000 slaves. It resulted in the death and injury of many enslaved people. It must be noted that no plantation owners or their families were hurt as in previous rebellion. The Jamaica Rebellion in 1831:The island of Jamaica had numerous rebellions a total of 16 from 1655 to 1813.However the largest one took place in 1831. It started when enslaved people demanded payment for the work been done. It was led by Samuel Sharpe and it involved 20,000 slaves who took control of over 200 estates and seized a vast amount of land. It was eventually controlled resulting in the loss of live of 200 slaves and 14 British planters. Statehood Many will argue that over the years we have lost that sense of nationalism and statehood which were so strong in both pre and post-emancipation periods. As a society we have not been connecting with our past history. The UN says it prefectly we will never know every act of resistance; great or small that slowly but surely triumphed over injustice, repression and enslavement. These accounts are crucial to our understanding of a past whose most pernicious and persistent legacy continues to blight our present: racism. The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a time to learn about and reflect on such stories. This important day allows us the descendants of those who were enslaved to pay tribute to the millions of Africans who were torn from their homelands and communities. Today, people of African descent continue to confront racial discrimination, marginalization and exclusion. The political, economic and structural power imbalances rooted in colonial rule, enslavement and exploitation, still deny equality of opportunity and justice to descendants of the enslaved. On this African Descent Day, let us recommit to honour our ancestors and educate ourselves wherever possible. Let us stand united against racism and together build strong societies based on dignity, equality and harmony. In the words of Maya Angelou, leaving behind nights of terror and fear; I rise into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear. I rise; bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #AfricanDescent #EndSlavery #EndRacism