Slavery and the Virgin Islands/Regional Reparations
Like the rest of anglophone regional sister countries, slavery is an integral part of Virgin Islands (VI) history as a story, grim and dark period. The institution of slavery was like no other form of involuntary service in history; slavery was the largest forced migration in human history.
The institution played distinct roles for the slaves and slave owners. On the one hand, it dehumanized, brutalized, humiliated, denigrated, exploited, and subjugated slaves to various indignities. On the other hand, slavery/slave labor built the UK, US, etc., economies, created individual wealth, created special privileges, and enacted a caste/class system where slaves/Blacks were the inferior class.
Slave Trade, Slavery and Colonialism
The slave trade, slavery, and colonialism were highly profitable, providing a high standard of living, influential status, and power for slave owners. It (slavery institution) was so lucrative that it was one of the factors that heavily influenced the American Revolution to separate from the British Empire; it was the primary cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865).
The UK abolished slavery in the Anglophone West Indies/ Caribbean on August 01,1834, but it continued for at least four (4) additional years. And slave-like conditions continued for much longer. However, though the UK reluctantly and conveniently ended slavery, its legacies are still felt today. The legacies of slavery are evident in health, education, poverty, social services, employment, banking, housing, social services, racial relations, policing, judicial system, sports, military services, economy, politics, etc.
And though slave labor contributed immensely to the high profitability of the slavery institution, the only people that have not benefitted from slavery were slaves and their descendants. Consequently, it is way past time for slaves to be made whole through reparations for their descendants.
UK Manufacturing Prowess and Slave Labour
Economist David Ricardo coined the concept of comparative advantage. It asserts that a country should specialize in what it produces at the lowest opportunity cost and trade for the rest, i.e., countries should produce what they have the most significant advantage or the least disadvantage doing.
Mid-nineteenth century England became an economic powerhouse by effectively employing comparative advantage, i.e., doing what it did best---manufacturing. Consequently, to support its manufacturing prowess, it created a colonial empire to provide a steady stream of the raw material supplied by slave labor to develop its manufacturing industry. It did what it did best--manufacture--and the colonies did what they were expected and forced to do best---provide the raw material. Manufacturing is a value-adding process, making England a wealthy, powerful, and influential nation while the colonies remain destitute and still reeling from the egregious legacies of slavery.
Slavery Abolition Act and Slave Owners Reparation
Lord Mansfield’s 1772 ruling in Somerset v Stuart (Somerset case) energized the abolitionist movement in England. The ruling stated that slaves could not be moved out of England without their consent. However, it didn’t abolish slavery or address slavery in the colonies. William Cowper, English Poet, wrote in 1785:
“We have no slaves at home—Then why abroad? Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free. They touch our country, and their shackles fall. That’s noble, and bespeaks a nation proud. And Jealous of the blessing. Spread then and let it circulate through every vein.”
Nevertheless, many decision-makers were forced and embarrassed to acknowledge that slavery was a vile, evil, vicious, exploitive, and extractive institution. Yet, often, due to its lucrativeness and their investment in it, they were very reluctant to advocate abolishing it. Consequently, the beneficiaries of slavery demonstrated a lukewarm interest, if any, in abolishing slavery. Slavery was a lucrative business, especially on West Indian plantations. Dr. Eric Williams, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, historian, and author noted in Capitalism and Slavery that the slave trade generated less profit than the profitable sugar plantations in the West Indies/Caribbean.
Moreover, despite the reluctance in many quarters, the UK Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833; it was assented to on August 28, 1833, and took effect on August 01, 1834. Specifically, the Act granted freedom to former slaves six years of age and younger, and other slaves were classified “Apprentices.” The intended additional servitude for apprentices was to be abolished in two stages; the first apprenticeships in 1838; the second in 1840. However, due to protests, complete freedom sped up to grant all slaves freedom on August 01, 1838. The Act also provided for paying reparation to slave owners.
As such, the Act provided for the British government to authorize and appropriate £20 million, which equated to 40% of England’s budget and approximately 5% of its GDP at the time. Further, £15 million of the appropriated sum was borrowed. 50% of the money was earmarked to pay reparations to slave-owning families in the West Indies and Africa; the other 50%, absentee owners in England. Hundreds of British families compensated; slaves and descendants, naught.
Reparations for West Indian Slave Descendants
As noted above, the UK appropriated funding to provide reparations to slave owners who lost their human chattel property. Yet not a farthing has been authorized and appropriated to pay reparation to West Indian slave descendants. Profits from the slave trade, slavery, and colonialism built the economies of the UK, US, and other countries, created individual fortunes, funded the Industrial Revolution, etc. Slave bodies and slave labor were critical sources in generating enormous profits. Moreover, though slavery was abolished, the people in the Anglophone Caribbean countries still face, live, and confront its harmful legacies daily and are haunted by the legacies.
The legacies are real, i.e., health, education, poverty, housing, etc. Further, the UK and other governments legally sanctioned slavery and have a moral obligation and a duty to make slave descendants whole through reparation. Some anti-reparation advocates will quickly assert that slave descendants are looking for a check, a handout. False. Though there is no one right option to administer reparation, the CARICOM Reparation Commission, led by Sir Hilary Beckles, vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies, laid out a 10-point reparatory justice plan worthy of strong consideration.
The plan includes:
1. Full formal apology,
2. Repatriation,
3. Indigenous people’s development,
4. Cultural institutions,
5. Public health crisis,
6. Illiteracy eradication,
7. African Knowledge program,
8. Psychological rehabilitation,
9. Technology transfer, and
10. Debt cancellation.
Refer to Caricomreparation.org for more information on the 10-point reparatory justice plan.
Moreover, if reparations were critical for making slave-owners whole, reparations are also critical for making slave descendants whole. In its wake, the slavery institution left the region with a prevalent poverty level, poor health conditions, high functional illiteracy rates, under-developed countries, poor and under-performing national economies, among other maladies.
Consequently, the countries/governments that legally sanctioned the slavery institution, benefitted from it and caused the lingering egregious legacies must contribute to making long-suffering and beleaguered countries and people whole.
Edgar Leonard is a native Virgin Islander, a freelance amateur writer, and a graduate of Florida A&M University
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20 Responses to “Slavery and the Virgin Islands/Regional Reparations”
Can any fair- and humanitarian-minded nation say reparations is not warranted for slaves descendants? They advocate for other people have been ill-treated, mid-treated, abused, exploited, etc, but when it comes to the descendants of slaves mum is the word.
In retrospect, some do pimp slap the idea of reparations for VI slave descendants. Remember former controversial governor AJU Jaspert backhanded response to a media house question about reparations for VI slaves descendants? His response was insulting and he double down by suggesting that the names of VI landmarks bearing the names of slave traders, pirates, etc, be retained for historical reasons. Challenged, he refused to offer even a simple, worthless and pretentious apology. Apologizing to black people, that would be a cardinal sin. Talking about reparations, where is the Sir Hilary Beckles and the CRC. Pealing thunder, swirling clouds, flashing lightning, but no rain. Form but no substance.
The centrality, the core, of the growth UK manufacturing and capitalism was the African slave trade and slavery. With the UK economy growth and maturity, which was fueled by slave labour, the UK cast the Anglophone West Indian colonies adrift, leaving them to fend for themselves. Small, resource-poor, undeveloped rocks with poor to no infrastructure, un/undereducated people, poorly developed/floundering economy, etc, left to fend for themselves.
Consequently, the outcome should not be of surprise to anyone. The bottom line is that UK former colonies are still reeling and floundering from the perverse legacies of slavery, ie, poor health, un/undereducated, poor economies, etc. The question is who to look to provide relief. The answer to that question is obvious, viz, the UK.
The UK sanctioned the African slave trade and slavery, the UK and its economy benefited from slave trade and slave labor, the slave trade and slave labour provided the capital to fund the industrial revolution, etc. Consequently, the UK should pay reparations to West Indian slave descendants. The UK paid £20 million reparations to slave owners so why not reparations to slave descendants? Is it because slaves were treated as human chattel property and subhuman? The UK should pay reparations but based on the attitude and behaviour of its former BVI local representative former Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert the UK may have little interest in even offering an apology much less pay reparation. By the way, typically, governors represent the interest of the people they represent. But in the BVI case, the governor of the BVI represent the interest of the UK, not the interest of the BVI people. It is a farce; it is a mirage; it is a make belief; it is false representation. Furthermore, an outgrowth of slavery is racism and racism has played and is playing a key role in the condition of UK former colonies and current controlled territories.
[Lets lead like eagles, not careen off the cliff like buffaloes]
The monarchy, parliament, church and the community were all heavily invested in the slave trade and slavery. The West Indian colonies were the drivers of the UK prosperity. That prosperity was fueled by the slave trade and slavery. White colonialists gained prosperity while the slaves and descendants caught misery. They lacked the joy of basic healthcare, housing, health, intact family, leisure, etc. The legacies of slavery still ravages the former colonies. Bottomline the UK condoned and benefitted from slavery and should do the right thing and pay reparations.
Consequently, the UK should engineer a reparations plan to compensate slave descendants as they did in the amount of £20 million to compensate slave owners. For example, supposedly, John Gladstone was paid £85,600 for 2,183 slaves under Abolition Act of 1833. Yet neither the slaves, the straw that stirred the drink, the blood that carried the oxygen to fuel and drive the production engine, and their descendants have yet to get a ‘wooden penny.” Worthless, heartless and shameful.