The Bahamas National Reparations Committee poses with acting Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Michael Darville during their relaunch on Friday, August 2, 2024.
The Bahamas National Reparations Committee officially relaunched on Friday just days ahead of Emancipation Day and a decade after it was first formed.
Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell Dean, the committee chair, said the committee never stopped working at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
She acknowledged there have been times when the committee’s activities were less known due to the lack of resources to raise awareness.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Michael Darville said the Bahamian government supports the work of the committee.
“The government of The Bahamas stands shoulder to shoulder with this distinguished committee and CARICOM Reparations Commission as they continue to engage our former colonial state on the historic, moral, and legal case for reparations concerning crimes against humanity, stemming from genocide and slavery brought on by the transatlantic slave trade and yes we cannot forget climate justice,” Dr Darville said.
The issue of reparations for native genocide and chattel slavery was brought to the forefront at the 34th CARICOM heads of government held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2013.
At that meeting, the establishment of National Reparations Committees and a regional CARICOM Reparations commission were agreed upon.
In March 2014, the cabinet of The Bahamas established The Bahamas National Reparations Committee led by Alfred Sears and Philip Smith and later Professor Chris Curry who served as Chair from 2017 to 2018.
The “Report on Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean” calculated that the United Kingdom would likely owe £18.8tn for its slavery involvement in 14 countries.
Dr Campbell Dean referenced this report when speaking about the sum owed in reparations; however, she explained the reparations movement in the Caribbean is a developmental reparations movement.
“So we have a 10-point plan in which reparations would help to assist in those areas of development, including things like public education, public health awareness, psychological rehabilitation. All of the things that were underdeveloped and destroyed through colonialism and slavery.”
Asked about the likelihood of getting reparations, she replied: “You know my response to that is, especially in the Emancipation weekend, is that could you imagine with an enslaved persons 200 years in the middle of slavery would have thought."
She continued: “They could have never imagined having seen 100 years of slavery pass, and knowing or not knowing but hundreds of years of slavery to go there was no way for them to imagine freedom.”
“So while trillions of dollars may seem like an astronomical number Emancipation seemed like an astronomical event and yet we are here celebrating 190 years, and so we believe that reparations will come and it's just a matter of time.”
While some argue Bahamians should not expect reparations, because the British gave aid in certain instances, Dr Campbell Dean made it clear that reparatory justice is not charity.
“Charity would be what you give after a natural disaster," she said.
"We are appreciative of those charitable acts but reparations is really about justice and so it is the justice that is due for the crimes against the United Nations designated Crimes against Humanity of slavery and the genocide of the native peoples of this land.”
The chair said the reparations movement is growing by leaps and bounds. She even listed a few examples of reparations that have taken place through private entities.
Laura Trevelyan, a family member of a slave owner in Grenada, issued a formal apology and pledged £100,000. The Church of England apologized and aimed to raise £1 billion to address its historical links to the slave trade.
Dr Campbell Dean and other committee members are preparing to participate in a Regional Diaspora Conference in Brazil and the Pan African congress in Togo.
Comments
GodSpeed 3 months, 1 week ago
£18.8tn owed in reparations? Where do you expect the UK to get that much money, it's like 9x their GDP 😂
Are you also going to demand reparations from the Africans who sold their own people into slavery, or just the UK? 🤔 Lots of slavery still going on in Africa today btw, but nobody fighting in the west to end it. Some Africans living in the UK today even bring in slaves from their African homelands to serve them. As much as people whine about slavery of the past, you'd think they'd be fighting to end it in the present, instead of trying to get a handout.
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
👀 I see someone here doesn't have a clue. The transatlantic slave trade was the greatest atrocity known to mankind. To say that anyone expecting compensation for that is looking for a handout speaks to gross ignorance and a total detachment from humanity. To also state of being sold into Slavery by our own people reflects a lack of education. Slavery in the African context at the time was a totally different thing than what it was in the European context. A slave in the African context had rights. One slave, if I recall correct, later rose to become a king. The inhumanity shown to African slaves could not be fathomed by fellow Africans. Also, if you fast forward to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, Jews handed over Jews to Germans. But, no one dares to make the statement that it lessens the atrocity of Hitler and the Germans at the time. So, why be so ignorant to repeat such nonsense. The Jews got reparation. No one said they were asking for a handout. When Haiti defeated the French, the French wanted payment. I take it you know zero about history. Strong suggestion, read before you give an ignorant opinion.
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Just to be clear, ignorance means lack of knowledge. The main point here is given what people of color particularly those of Afrian descent have suffered, it's extremely mindblowing that people believe they need to shut up and move on. Keep in mind there are mechanisms still at play to ensure the oppression of people of color.in a lot of institutions globally. Another thing, you mention that slavery is still going on. There's a lot of things going on in a lot of countries that shouldn't be going on. It's not just blacks and people of color who are screwed up. If you check your history again you would recall the former Yugoslavia where genocide began with the Serbs trying to exterminate the Croats. Then the Serbs and Croats in one area decide to combine efforts to exterminate the Albanians. There are numerous ethnic, religious clashes all.over the globe all the time. If you're over a certain age you would know of the fighting in Ireland between the Catholics and Prostestants. There were tons of stories of what happened on the road to Belfast.
GodSpeed 3 months, 1 week ago
Ah yes, compensation for slavery would have been great..... for the actual emancipated slaves... but they're all long dead now, the slave masters too.. well, except for those I mentioned in Africa, mostly. Everyone around here was born free, so stop begging, it's embarrassing. Trying to white wash slavery in Africa is just sad, even slaves in the US could buy their freedom and "have rights", that's nothing special to Africa, ever heard of William Ellison Jr.? I guess not.
GodSpeed 3 months, 1 week ago
Not only did Jews hand over other Jews to the Nazis, Hitler's Nazi war machine was funded by Western banks, many owned and/or operated by Jews. Lots of people "dare" to make statements that question the severity of the holocaust but they're usually silenced as anti-Semites, has zero to do with whether reparations to Jews were deserved or not on a factual basis, but really if they want reparations they should go hit up JP Morgan Chase.
Anyway it's a fact that we all have a much better quality of life than if we were in Africa so let's just let bygones be bygones 😊 the UK wasn't the only bad actor, so were African Tribal leaders who have "apologized" yet nobody demands reparations for them, gee I wonder why. Also brushing off modern day slavery as something that's not your problem is exactly what I expected from you. All you faux virtuous types are exactly the same, your type don't really care about the evils of slavery, cause if you did then you spend all your time trying to eradicate it from the world instead of trying to get some money from the UK.
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Last time I checked crimes came with punishment not a pep talk to "get on with it". If you had any clue about the global argument about reparation you would know there is an economic impact and that's why reparations are being sought. You do know of the concept that criminals are not supposed to profit from their crimes. So, a murderer for example can't sell books detailing the crimes he committed. You keep going back to African tribes handing over fellow Africans and trying to diminish the white involvement in this atrocity. I wonder why? I can assure you I'm far from needing money from reparations. But, I do expect that peoplenare held accountable for their actions. To state that slaves are dead and I guess you're also including their masters. So, once everyone has passed on whatever evil was done is now good, aye? Slave owners profited from slavery. The wealth was passed on from generation to generation. Descendants of slaves entered this world disadvantaged. If you knew anything at all about this reparation discussion and put aside your clear bias you would appreciate what countless scholarships across the globe is seeking to achieve.
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Further to the above, there is a naive assumption that hundreds if years of slavery ended with everybody back to square one like nothing happened singing "it's a beautiful day". People of African descenr are still impacted today by slavery. Anyone who believes different is completely detached from reality. If you have any knowledge of just basic psychology for example, you would know that trauma is passed on for generations. It's just inconceivable the gross ignorance that exist on this topic. I stongly suggest that yoy speak to historians who are familiar with this topic to learn. There is really a disturbing disconnect on your side.
GodSpeed 3 months, 1 week ago
What clear bias are you referring to? I have no bias, I just prefer pragmatism. Yes, once all the slaves are dead and all the slave masters are dead then the book is closed. There is no greater "reparation" than freedom. The British took steps to abolish slavery from their global empire, completely, in a time when the rest of the world could really care less. These are the actions of an intelligent people, instead of punishing them and guilt tripping and diving the populace based on race, we should let bygones be bygones and move forward, coming together, revenge is not the answer. Slavery is history, we are all born free for generations, trying to blame slavery for personal failures in 2024 is laughable. If you are born in the Bahamas, study and apply yourself in a good field, stay away from crime and the criminal element, then you will succeed and many have, the ghosts of slavery from a long gone past, didn't stop them.
Finally I will say that the British are a great people, nobody is perfect and slavery was practiced all over the world, the white guilt laid on generations of Europeans who had nothing to do with events centuries before they were born is destroying their societies, once they're gone, the world will be much worse off and the people who still practice slavery in this world, will bring it right back. When Hillary Clinton and Obama got rid of Gadhafi in Libya, immediately the North Africans in Libya began enslaving Sub-Saharan Africans, the first Black US President, Obama, did nothing about it, his government caused it through their actions, you probably never even heard about it, but it happened. These backwards people from Africa and the Middle East that still practice slavery are illegally flooding into Europe and the west unabated, and bring with them their backwards culture, bringing slaves etc. if you think things like slavery can't return to the western world, just wait until western civilization is destroyed by leftists and their illegal hordes.
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Interesting! Again, I encourage you to hear the whole story. You keep referring to the issues with people of color heavily. The problems of the world are not just because of people of color. The English were not great people to be praised. Europeans historically portrayed themselves as liberators; as a people brining civilization to thr uncivilized. But what they often did was rape, steal and murder and subjugate the people in the areas they took.
As you hit on the Libyans, you forgot the origin of the word slave. It comes from slav. The original slaves were white, Slavic.
I can see clearly a lack of openness here which is troubling. It's people like yourself, who with a better understanding and empathy, can add more dimension to this discussion. I would concede that reparation is not a simple thing. It is complex. It's not something to be approached lightly or with brute force. It's an open dialog and negotiations. If the Jewish community got reparations from Germany, why shouldn't people of African descent get reparations for a far greater atrocity. You yourself point out the continued enslavement of people and also acknowledged that those in the past should be entitled to it. So, why is it inconceivable that the fruits carried forward should not be shared. If your great, great, great and so on grandfather stole from mine and you're a billionaire as a result, isn't it still my money? Like I said there are some white governments that have acknowledged they should pay reparations. Perhaps these intelligent folks got it wrong, aye? I wouldn't expect the UK to write a $9T check. It can come as benefits over time.
But, again I encourage you to find out more. I first thought of it as a joke when I heard about it in the 1990s until I learned more. There are a lot of scholars, legal minds, etc globally working on this matter. I can see based on your argument you have no information on their work. If you just took a bit if time and apply some openness, you will be blown away at what you learn. These are not people arguing handouts or running around the globe blaming the white man for black failures. To think that severely discounts their work and is a huge insult to the intellectual debates back and forth on this discussion.
Since you like cliff notes I'll end with, knowledge is power. Although, I disagree with you, I do see a person who armed with facts and a little openness can be an ally in this great discussion.
SP 3 months, 1 week ago
Your ancestors were THE cruelest, inhumane, savages, the world has ever known!
America and its allies began with genocides and slavery, and continue with genocide and economic slavery today.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2024…
truetruebahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
An apology is quite adequate.
SP 3 months, 1 week ago
🥸 Just get over it, pull yourself up by your own boot straps. (be careful bending over though, they are now "woke")
TalRussell 3 months, 1 week ago
Why just being a holder of a Bahamian Passport may not be sufficient. --- Not believing all comrades pictured are lookin' Bahamian DNA enough. --- May also need to launch a Bahamas National DNA Testing Committee -- To order DNA tests well in advance as to qualify all who will test Bahamian sufficient entitled to lineups for theys' reparation cheques'. -- Yes?
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
I would encourage everyone here to READ. This discussion of reparations has been going on globally for quote some time. The UK, although they try to play the nice guys in slavery were the worst. If people fully understood the discussion, all of the nonsense people are commenting here wouldn't be typed. There are a few places where the governments have actually acknowledged that they do need to pay and are trying to figure out how to approach it. I think the concept that the group here has is similar to what has been discussed globally. The idea is to provide benefits to descendants of slaves, not give them a "handout" as one commenter ignorantly put it. Access to proper education, healthcare, housing, etc. would be considerably more beneficial than handing a check which simply (in most cases) goes right back to the people whose ancestors were the perpetrators of this atrocity.
GodSpeed 3 months, 1 week ago
Here's the CliffsNotes for those who don't have time to "READ":
"My great, great, great, great, grand daddy was a slave, so I demand free money! (from Europeans only)"
Compelling argument.
hrysippus 3 months, 1 week ago
Gor some years after the Btitish government abolished the trading in slaves their Royal Navy intercepted slave ships and freed the enslaved..At least 2 groups of these slaves liberated by the British Royal Navy were settled in New Providence, or so I have have read
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Yes. The British should be thanked for their role in slavery. Lol. If you knew history you would know they were the amjor.culprits in slavery. It's interesting they only want to tell the story of emancipation. History is filled with lies. The man who tells the story always says he's a saint.
hrysippus 3 months, 1 week ago
Truebohamian, you have missed the point. You want the Btitish taxpayers to psy off the descenants of people enslaved by, say the Portugese ar Spanish, or Smerican, who eere liberated by the actions og those same Btitish. This wjole question of reparations as it relates to Bahamians is acyually more complex than it first appears.
ExposedU2C 3 months, 1 week ago
You left out the French slave masters who were by far the most cruel in our region of the world. They bear great responsibility for the violent history of the Haitian people and the failed state of Haiti today.
DWW 3 months, 1 week ago
I wish I had rose coloured glasses and could see the world in such simplistic terms. Where is this money supposed to come from exactly? The taxpayers of UK I suppose? many of whom are of Caribbean descent. Perhaps you mean the old colonial companies like Lloyds and the British West Indies Company should pay out?
trueBahamian 3 months, 1 week ago
Ask the Germans how they paid the Jews. Same concept. If this was a cr8me carried out by people of color against Europeans, you wouldn't be asking these questions. They would have demanded payment and would have received it already. It's always a joke if you're of color but an atrocity if those not of color are the victims.
tom1912 3 months, 1 week ago
The Germans didn’t pay anything back to the many of the ancestors of other Ethinic, East European, Mentally ill, Homosexual,Gypsies they killed from their cleansing, never mind any reparations from the Vatican who supported the Hitler regime, nether mind the Swiss banks taking the stolen gold to finances the German war effort. This reparations argument is a grifters charter,
Twocent 3 months, 1 week ago
SIDE FACT…Trump or Kamala Harris? Look up her ancestry…One Hamilton Brown. How much did he get paid by the UK in reparation for the loss of his slaves; he being the wealthiest slave owner at the time, with over twelve hundred slaves !!! It is a SHAME that the wealthy merchant class got paid reparation for the loss of their slave workers while the slaves were very often left to fend for themselves (?). (The Uk took out a lone from a Rothschild bank for that…did they need to pay it back….from the poor tax-payer) This is not about colour. It’s about EXPLOITATION ! CRUELTY, INJUSTICE, and finally giving human beings a chance to improve their quality of life (?) As long the government does not get the money, right? Also, if this committee wants to do anything right make sure, if there is any money, that it is transparent, accountable, and changes lives for the positive….and not a tool for perpetual (albeit black on white this time) racism and inequality.
tom1912 3 months, 1 week ago
OH dear It would seem there are quite a few people in the Bahamas would benefit from a few lectures from the great insightful Dr Thomas Sowell.
You will find that the AtlanticTriangle Slave Trade was a drop in the ocean compared with 1000s of years before it. If you follow the money, in the end it would be the Scandinavians (Vikings); North Africans (Barbary pirates); Italy (Romans); Turkey (Ottomans): who will be the back stops.
Never mind, in the UK case, the majority of the population were in servitude ( My mother and father in Domestic service my father and his father also worked as a miner in the 1920s and treated like s**t by a very wealthy miner owner) akin to slavery by the same ruling classes that were engaged in the transatlantic slavery ( Including your free Royal Family and their relatives) So some of this servitude de facto, lasted into the 1950s in many large UK cities.
If there was one pervert good thing that that came out of the WW1 it depleted a lot of the ruling UK classes.
I’m sure the UK will willing pay reparations to the West Indians and make a profit at the same time, after it receives its reparations from Itay, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, North African Arab Countries, and Turkey! I rest my case :)
ExposedU2C 3 months, 1 week ago
Comments by the "trueBahamian" beggar who is enthralled at the prospect of receiving reparations are amusing to say the least.
Hopefully The Bahamas National Reparations Committee founded by Slo Mo Sears and others in 2014 has had no taxpayer funded budget over the past decade.
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