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Slave trade throughout British Empire was ‘horrific’- Gov Daniel Pruce
Emancipation Day in the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean is marked on August 1, commemorating the anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
“This year marks 190 years since the abolition of the horrific slave trade throughout the British Empire.
“It is also the 70th year of the Virgin Islands' Emancipation Festival. I pay tribute to the organisers of the extensive programme of events, featuring local performers, artists, vendors and many other participants from the community. I wish everyone a joyful and safe celebration,” Governor Pruce said in a statement on July 30, 2024.
This year's celebration is being done under the theme, "Celebrate our freedom and Live in Unity, As BVI Festival turns 70!”
Jaspert & UK owe VI an apology?
It was in 2020 that then Governor of the Virgin Islands Augustus J.U. Jaspert irked some descendants of slaves in the Virgin Islands when he unartfully said the Virgin Islands can expect no reparations for slavery from the United Kingdom and that the Territory should not necessarily get rid of names of landmarks named after slave owners and perpetrators of slavery and brutal acts against humanity.
The Queen’s representative made the comments on a live Facebook interview on Monday, September 7, 2020, with 284 Media.
Several commentators and members of the public openly condemned the insensitive remarks and demanded an apology; however, Mr Jaspert, who called a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into governance in the VI, never apologised.
The UK, through its Foreign and Commonwealth Office, had said the comments of Mr Jaspert reflected the position of the UK.
It is unclear at this time what is Mr Pruce’s position on the issues and governors in the past, while acknowledging the brutality of slavery, have stopped short of apologising for it or agreeing that reparations should be made.
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17 Responses to “Slave trade throughout British Empire was ‘horrific’- Gov Daniel Pruce”
Will the benefits trickle down to the marginalized and vulnerable members of our societies, or will they be concentrated in the hands of the political directorate and the upper class?
These are urgent conversations and considerations that we would need to have amongst ourselves internally and arrive at some consensus going forward.
Just hollering that we want reparations is not going to cut
Because the record(s) of the Slave Trade can still be revised
Which is worse Money Laundering or Murder(countless African Descendants) were beaten to their death
GOING TO HAVE TO PRAY FOR HIM
OH YEAH
Aid and is afflicted with the Stockholm Syndrome. Study the history of slavery, slave trade,,tribalism, economic trading by the Europeans, Arabs, Moors, etc.
Moreover, exploited slave labour built the UK and other European economies, rescuing Europe from a deep depression, etc..Slave labour created commercial capitalism; the profits from commercial capitalism fueled industrial capitalism. In the UK. Slaves/slave labor labour additionally made many Britons wealthy. Nevertheless, in spite of the horrific, dehumanizing actions of the slavery, the UK has yet to offer the slave descendants a simple apology. Governor Daniel Pruce, the UK-appointed governor , inched closer than most to the line. But no full throated apology. Close but no cigar. Former US President Lyndon B. Johnson notes, “ Freedom is not enough”, ie, for an enslaved people. You cannot just say to an enslaved people you are free now so good luck..Similarly, an apology is not enough for slave descendants in the VI.
The social engineering slave experiment a) stripped slaves of their humanity, b) take away their worldly possessions, c) deprive them of freedom, liberty, etc,, d) deprive them of even basic literacy/education, proper housing, healthcare, and nutrition, e) control and cast them as a permanent, non-competitive underclass, f) take away their history, heritage, religion, and culture, g) permanent separation from their families, h) deprive them of opportunity to acquire and pass on generational wealth, etc..
It is way pass time for reparative justice. The Caricom Reparation Commission, chaired by Dr. Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of UWI, developed a blue print which can be explored, and adopted in developing a Reparation Plan.