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Britain continues to benefit from transatlantic slave trade- Dr Ahmed N. Reid

- said UK’s tweet about repayment ‘troubling & distasteful’
Slavery may have been abolished well over a century ago; however, an Associate Professor of Caribbean History at the City University of New York has said Britain and descendants of enslavers continue today to benefit from slavery. Photo: CUNY/File
According to Dr Ahmed N. Reid, there is a shocking revelation that taxpayers in Britain including hundreds of thousands of Caribbean nationals whose ancestors were enslaved by the British and whose labour helped to build Britain, helped to pay the interest payments on the loan that paid the socially and politically connected enslavers. Photo: Internet Source
According to Dr Ahmed N. Reid, there is a shocking revelation that taxpayers in Britain including hundreds of thousands of Caribbean nationals whose ancestors were enslaved by the British and whose labour helped to build Britain, helped to pay the interest payments on the loan that paid the socially and politically connected enslavers. Photo: Internet Source
The ‘troubling and distasteful’ tweet was made by the United Kingdom Treasury on February 9, 2018. After it was met with outrage from the public, it was subsequently deleted. Photo: UK Guardian
The ‘troubling and distasteful’ tweet was made by the United Kingdom Treasury on February 9, 2018. After it was met with outrage from the public, it was subsequently deleted. Photo: UK Guardian
Ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert had caused a stir late 2020 when he suggested that landmarks in the VI named after persons who perpetrated chattel slavery should be preserved. Photo: VINO/File
Ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert had caused a stir late 2020 when he suggested that landmarks in the VI named after persons who perpetrated chattel slavery should be preserved. Photo: VINO/File
BASSETERRE, St Kitts, WI- Slavery may have been abolished well over a century ago; however, an Associate Professor of Caribbean History at the City University of New York has said Britain and descendants of enslavers continue today to benefit from slavery.

Dr Ahmed N. Reid was at the time speaking at the Black History Month Panel Discussion hosted by St Kitts and Nevis’ Reparations Committee on February 22, 2021.

He referenced a tweet sent out by Her Majesty’s Treasury on February 9, 2018, which revealed that “In February 2015, the British Government completed repaying the loan of 20 million pounds that it borrowed to compensate enslavers so that they would agree to the emancipation of the enslaved people in 1834.”

The modern equivalent of £17bn was paid out to compensate slave owners for the loss of their human property.

‘Disturbing’ tweet

He continued, “Positioned as ‘Did you know,’ the tweet claimed that in 1833, Britain used 20 million pounds, 40 percent of its national debt to buy freedom for all slaves in the empire.” 
 
Dr Reid continued quoting Her Majesty’s Treasury saying that “The amount of money borrowed for the Slavery Abolition Act was so large that it wasn’t paid off until 2015, which means that living British citizens helped pay to end the slave trade.”

“Apart from its self-congratulatory tone, the tweet is troubling and distasteful on many levels,” he said.  

Descendants of slaves helped pay back UK reparation loan

“First, there is a shocking revelation that taxpayers in Britain including hundreds of thousands of Caribbean nationals whose ancestors were enslaved by the British and whose labour helped to build Britain, helped to pay the interest payments on the loan that paid the socially and politically connected enslavers,” Dr Reid said.

He further said the tweet shows the intergenerational link with slavery saying that “This tweet is evidence of an incontrovertible truth that the descendants of enslavers continue to benefit today from slavery.” 
 
He added, “According to a report in the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’, most of the bonds are owned by small investors. Of the 11,200 holders, 7,700 invested all less than 1000 nominal and 92 percent of holders owned less than 10,000 pounds each.”
 
“Britain and those who invested in slave abolition bonds, continue to benefit today,” said Dr Reid.

No slavery reparations for VI

Meanwhile, the UK recently supported the position of ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert that the VI should not expect any reparations for slavery.

Mr Jaspert had also caused a stir when he suggested that landmarks in the VI named after persons who perpetrated chattel slavery should be preserved.

16 Responses to “Britain continues to benefit from transatlantic slave trade- Dr Ahmed N. Reid”

  • Wilberforce (01/03/2021, 12:33) Like (20) Dislike (10) Reply
    The £20 million was to buy land from the slave owners which was then given to the former slaves. Some families have greatly benefitted from ownership of that land as may be seen by looking around BVI. The British Empire forbade the transportation of slaves from Africa in 1796 and freed all slaves in 1834. So it’s more like 200 years ago.

    And although the British did not invent slavery and had been slaves themselves to the Romans and had slaves taken from shoreline villages by Barbary ( North African) pirates, they were responsible for ending it.
    • @ wilberforce (01/03/2021, 13:14) Like (16) Dislike (14) Reply
      Stop trying to rewrite history and stop blogging piss from the governor’s office

      Everything you said was proven by historians to be a big lie so stop

      Blacks continue to suffer under your white supremacy
    • @Wilberforce (01/03/2021, 15:40) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
      NO No in the BVI after slavery ended many former slaves went to other islands to work like Barbados then came back and bought the land that is why in other Caribbean islands the Government or the system own the land. Many of the former slave masters became bankrupt and just flee relinquishing ownership that the former slaves worked and bought.

      Efforts were made in the '40s and 50's by some of our undercover agents who tried hard to create technicalities to get back the land but BVIUslanders stood up and fought to keep it. Some of these people and their firms are still here today allegedly. So don't right nonsense and make believe that what BVIslanders got was on the back of the kindness of their masters.
    • Balding (01/03/2021, 23:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      “although the British did not invent slavery ... they were responsible for ending it.”

      Although the British did not invent rape murder and torture they stopped doing it after awhile. But what about the descendants of the perpetrators?

      oh them we’re going to pay them handsomely for it for many years after.

      Heaven forbid we remove the most vicious names of slavery from places. That may make the descendants of masters feel uncomfortable!


      Due to their superiority complex they’re unable to come to terms with their actions. Along with the institutional racism that has been among other things, rewarding slave masters for being slave masters, up to 2015.

      Talk about good governance.

      Do the worse take a bath and put on the best suit.

      What’s done can not be undone. Real change goes past appearances.

      we have slave masters names held high and the official position is the slave masters names will remain, meaning they aren’t at the level of equality to even get appearances right either.
  • Hmm (01/03/2021, 12:37) Like (2) Dislike (5) Reply
    It was in the past we should forget them say.
  • Racist uk (01/03/2021, 13:05) Like (9) Dislike (8) Reply
    Now these same oppressors on here but commission of inquiry smh
  • Xxx (01/03/2021, 13:15) Like (6) Dislike (8) Reply

    And remember rac**t Gus Jespert say we don’t need no raperation

    • BullXxxx (02/03/2021, 09:03) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      No he didn’t! As representative of the UK he answered that it was currently not the UK position that reparations be paid.
      Other people made up the nonsense that this was his personal view, which makes him a racist, which makes him sub-human, which makes it ok to be as disgusting as we want because of course now he has been dehumanized.
      That’s ironic, considering the edifice of the racism we all abhor is built entirely on this stupid trick - dehumanize someone and you can at like Lucifer while convincing yourself you are God.
  • Eagle Eye (01/03/2021, 14:15) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    The queen family cannot loose their powers. That in itself needs to be history. Who give them that right over the other humans.
  • trrefdrfds (01/03/2021, 14:50) Like (4) Dislike (11) Reply
    Talk about the devil and who he really is nah. ...I know for sure he isn't no goat decorated with horn ..but a smart conniving evil being and one flesh too wat look like the image man ....wolf in sheeps clothing...everything we live by in this world that was and is taught to us is the total opposite a dam lie rigth down to this so call pandemic
  • Racist must go (01/03/2021, 19:56) Like (2) Dislike (5) Reply
    The Uk and these whites should be ashamed of themselves
  • Action required (01/03/2021, 20:42) Like (1) Dislike (7) Reply

    Investigate Rac**t Gus and make him and his office accountable for their racist behaviour.

  • Stop it. Fix St kitts first. (02/03/2021, 07:45) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    These people kept jumping into things they have no business in...Talking about issues they have no facts about...The BVi Gave the land the masters keft for the slaves to the slaves,, But St kitts didnt do that they stole the lands that belong to the slave and kept them as crown land....Get your facts straight and stay in your lane, work on fixing St kitts, people up there are suffering badly..
    • x (03/03/2021, 16:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The masters didn't leave no land to no slaves. They abandoned them, hoping we would perish as well.
  • rewrsdffds (02/03/2021, 09:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    ,@action required
    Let us do the same to this unjust government
  • um (02/03/2021, 20:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    st Kitts doing fine..thankyou..regardless some ppl just salty.


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