KINGSTON, Jamaica. – On Monday, the People’s National Party stands with the global community in marking The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
This day reflects on the harrowing period of chattel slavery, during which millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes, shackled, and transported across the Atlantic to endure extreme brutality and exploitation for economic purposes.
The following is a statement by the People’s National Party’s Spokesperson on Culture & Creative Industries Dr. Deborah Hickling Gordon, on this occasion of The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade:
Statement on The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
As we mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it is important to engage and reflect on the enduring legacy of this tragic period in human history.
Today, we pause to honour the memory of the millions who were forcibly taken from their homes, subjected to unimaginable cruelty, and exploited for economic gain.
As Opposition Spokesperson on Culture, I am deeply committed to ensuring that the stories of those who endured the horrors of enslavement are not forgotten.
It is imperative that we confront the uncomfortable truths of our past and acknowledge the profound injustices inflicted upon generations of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
We must, in the present, be wary of neocolonial forces seeking to preserve hegemonic dominance in the same way plantation owners fought against emancipation.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade represents one of the most egregious violations of human rights in recorded history. Its impact continues to be seen in Caribbean societies, shaping patterns of inequality, discrimination, and systemic racism that persist to this day.
As we reflect on the atrocities of the past, we must also recognise the resilience, strength, and dignity of those who survived and persevered in the face of unimaginable adversity.
This day serves as a solemn reminder of the urgent need to address the ongoing consequences of slavery and to work towards healing the deep wounds it has left behind.
We must strive to dismantle the structures of oppression and inequality that perpetuate the legacies of slavery and to ensure that all individuals are afforded equal rights, opportunities, and dignity.
As we pay tribute to the formerly enslaved and the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, let us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of justice, truth, and reconciliation.
Let us amplify the voices of those who have been marginalised and oppressed and work together to build a more inclusive and equitable world for future generations.
On this International Day of Remembrance, let us honour the memory of the victims, celebrate the resilience of survivors, and pledge to continue the fight for freedom, justice, and human rights for all.
In June 2023, a report comissioned by the University of The West Indies (UWI) and The Caribbean Community, CARICOM and prepared by the Brattle Group, entitled the “Report on Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery in the Americas and the Carribean,” quantified the value of Transatlantic Chattel Slavery (TCS) to the overall development of the economic systems and Empires of Europe and the Americas.
It was the first such a comprehensive and serious examination of this historical injustice had been attempted, and assessed the reparations due to the descendants of enslaved persons who suffered death and endured unimaginable hardships as a result of chattel slavery across the Americas and the Caribbean.
The report estimated that countries which profited from this grotesque and unlawful practice, including Britain, France, Portugal, The Netherlands, Brazil, and the United States of America, owes approximately US$131 Trillion in reparations for their part in the Transatlantic slave trade and the resulting Chattel Slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean.
The report provides detailed calculations of the sums to be paid as reparations by each country involved in TCS. For instance, Britain is required to pay about $24 trillion, of which about $9.5 trillion is in respect of Jamaica.
The United States is required to pay about $26 trillion, in respect of its practice of TCS in the USA from 1776 to 1865. France, Portugal, Brazil, and The Netherlands also owe substantial amounts, with the aggregate sum of reparations to be paid by all the former slaveholding States amounting to about $107.8 trillion.
“When we speak of reparations for transatlantic chattel slavery, we refer to reparations for the process of chattelization of Africans that included several phases: capture and sale of Africans in Africa; forced trek to the slave dungeons on the coast and to ships in the harbours; internment in the slave dungeons and ships; the notorious Middle Passage, as well as the traffic between Brazil and Africa; their sale in the Americas and the Caribbean; and their forced and unpaid labour on the plantations,” the report said. (WiredJA)
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