Jamaicans Shun UK Royal Visit, Demand Slavery Reparations
Dozens of well-known leaders in Jamaica including professors and
politicians are demanding an apology and slavery reparations as the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge prepare for a trip to the former British
colony.
The group is rejecting the visit of Prince William and Kate scheduled
for Tuesday, part of a larger trip to the Caribbean region that
coincides with the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence and the
70th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
“We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension of your
grandmother to the British throne because her leadership, and that of
her predecessors, have perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in
the history of humankind,” read a letter published Sunday ahead of the
couple’s visit and signed by 100 Jamaican leaders.
The weeklong royal tour of Central America and the Caribbean that began
on Saturday was taken at the behest of the queen, who is William’s
grandmother. The trip aims to strengthen Britain’s ties with
Commonwealth countries, but it’s off to a rocky start and comes as some
countries consider cutting ties to the monarchy like the eastern
Caribbean island of Barbados did in November.
Local opposition forced the royal couple to cancel a visit to a cacao
farm in Belize that was planned for Saturday, while the upcoming trip to
Jamaica has angered some who say they are still waiting for an apology
and slavery reparations.
Jamaica lawmaker Mike Henry, who has long led an effort to obtain
reparations that he estimates at more than 7 billion pounds, told The
Associated Press in a phone interview that an apology is only the first
step for what he described as “abuse of human life and labor.”
“An apology really admits that there is some guilt,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of African slaves toiled in Jamaica under more
than 300 years of British rule and faced brutal conditions. There were
numerous bloody rebellions, with one woman called “Queen Nanny” leading a
group of formerly enslaved Africans known as Jamaican Maroons whose
guerrilla warfare became renown and battered British forces. “Queen
Nanny” remains the sole female of Jamaica’s eight national heroes.
During their two-day stay in Jamaica, Prince William and Kate are
expected to celebrate Bob Marley’s legacy, a move that also has riled
some Jamaicans.
“As a Rastafarian, Bob Marley embodied advocacy and is recognized
globally for the principles of human rights, equality, reparations and
repatriation,” stated the letter of those demanding an apology.
The group said that it would be celebrating 60 years of freedom from
Britain, adding that it is saddened “that more progress has not been
made given the burden of our colonial inheritance. We nonetheless
celebrate the many achievements of great Jamaicans who rejected
negative, colonial self-concepts and who self-confidently succeeded
against tremendous odds. We will also remember and celebrate our freedom
fighters.”
