'UK owes us apology & compensation for slavery'- Kishmet B. Daniel
“They owe us not only an apology, not just compensation,” Daniel told our newsroom recently, remarking that words cannot describe what would be the right payment for all that our ancestors went through in slavery.
Not a cent for VI slave descendants
It was on Monday, September 7, 2020, during an interview with 284 Media, Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert said paying reparations to the Virgin Islands for acts of slavery and the slave trade is not the position of the UK at the moment while calling for relics of slavery to be preserved in the Territory.
His statements, deemed insensitive and even racist by some, infuriated many in the Virgin Islands. Some commentators condemned the remarks and even called for an apology.
Adding insult to injury, Baroness Elizabeth G. Sugg, the United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, came to the defence of her fellow UK national, saying that the statements expressed by the outgoing Governor were also the position of the UK.
While the UK has not paid reparation to the descendants and victims of slaves, up until 2015 the UK paid reparations to the owners of slaves after the abolition of slavery.
Premier and Minister of Finance had remarked it is clear the UK government believes a statement is sufficient for slavery and that reparations do not form part of the UK Government’s official policy.
According to Daniel; however, if the shoes were on the other foot and it was our ancestors who had owed the UK “a hefty bill”, it would have been paid off, even if it took generations.
She said the Africans, after slavery was abolished, worked to pay for their freedom and to purchase land. She said that was a demonstration of honesty.
London University called for £100M slavery reparation
It should be noted that even though the UK Government’s stance is to not pay a dime to descendants of slaves, not everyone in the UK shares that position.
It was in 2018 that universities in London had proposed reparations in different forms.
A university leader had said universities in the UK which benefited in previous centuries from the slave trade should contribute to a £100m fund to support ethnic minority students.
Geoff Thompson, chair of governors of the University of East London, says it would be "ethical and right" for universities to contribute, according to the BBC.
He had said it would help young people who otherwise could not afford to graduate.
Also in September 2018, Glasgow University revealed it had received slave-related funding.
Glasgow University discovered that up to £198m in today's value had been donated in the 19th Century by people who had profited from the slave trade.
In response, it announced a "reparative justice programme", including creating a centre for the study of slavery and a memorial to the enslaved.
'Historic opportunity'
But Mr Thompson had said there should be a collective university fund to support today's black and ethnic minority students through university.
The University of East London was sending Freedom of Information requests to other UK universities to see if their institutions had received money from the slave trade between the 16th and 19th Century - with the findings to be gathered.
In the United States, there have been arguments over how to reconcile universities with historic links to slavery and slave-owning.
Georgetown University has given extra support in its admissions process to the descendants of a group of slaves sold by the university in the 19th Century.
Harvard University put up a plaque in commemoration of slaves who had lived and worked at the university.
The university also ended the use of "master" in academic titles, because of connotations of slavery.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
42 Responses to “'UK owes us apology & compensation for slavery'- Kishmet B. Daniel”
We today are free. Yes, free. You who want to live in a slave mentality can do so. Those of us who do not, can and should work for what we want with our own 2 hands. No one can take what you work hard for. They can try to cheat you out of your true wages, but there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Furthermore, always remember than when thief A steals from Honest Hard Working B $100, Thief C steals from Thief A $100,000.
And further remember that a repeat cycle of what Africans did to their own Africans 400+ years ago are what Caribbean people doing to their own Caribbean people. Go educate your children the right way. They have no entitlement to what was owed to past slaves. They were born free. Talk that!
For your concept of A,B,C. Go Hire someone and don`t pay them and see who`s going to rob you. The same man coming for you.,. Talk that!
On another note, if we continue to keep our children home and not educate them, they are bound to be enslaved or in jail. Now is not the time to talk foolishness and be band wagon jumpers. We should make sure our children get a good education, teach them to stay out of trouble and be productive citizens of their country; that way our forefathers can be proud of us and the progress we are making. Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. Nelson Mandela said " Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world"
Once there were sellers there were buyers ...listen to this backward idiot program nothing...it have to be a demand first in order to create a supply.....supple dont necessary mean there would be a demand idiot go back to there school so there can reprogram u to lie and corrupt people...that why there decide to publicly educate u and us under there sceems of lies. Like there teach us that ur master Christopher Columbus was a good man and that he discovered wat he murder for ..and like many like him self for u as a black descendant to come on hear talking ur piss. ur just a product of ur own enemy. Go back in the book were the serpent corrupt wat was good in the garden...the art of war of today of these wicked people was use from thenceforth till now same as wat going on in Nigeria..divide and rule the same concept that got u against ur own in this struggle..it in ur heart too it how u feel is how u speak like an enemy to ur self and the rigth from wrong...now bit*** slavery was wrong inspite who did it but we know it was did to us as a black man and we know who profit...sh** it end hear stop look excuse for it worst than a @#$":^ lie bit**
Way all these this like hedend come from against this article of injustice of slavery...way the @#$$ u all evil bastard mf were wen the head of your white jesus Christian religion the Pope so called francis made on that of his nasty decision against the god of life ..comment and dis like that...all u all is @#$% hypocritical evil money power hungry imps of satan out hear destroying the very good u all claim to be representing but not
Whilst I agree that the UK needs to do something more than it has been doing, when it comes from the voice of this little lady who always has her hands out for something it devalues the purpose. There are better spokesperson than this attention seeker.
Firs, I learnt about christopher columbus and his discovery,in primary school,is that discovery that started slavery, then about the slave trade and the great triangle, from africa,to the wast indies,then to usa,and back to africa,then about european colonization,Christopher Columbus family of the Caribbean and then about british colonization of the west indies, then about independence from british, but now I am fee and happy,you want to bring back old memories about slavery to me. you serious. you still with dat.Now I have whattsapp,TV, cellphone,internet,I can Blogg on VINO,and I can vote out VIP soon and put back NDP= PND, and PPP, and PIV. I dont give a hell about slavery and reparation.Give me a raise of salary,so I can pay my bills and live happy.Sorry black slaves,for your suffering.
These groups, use to hunt down tribes, capture the men and woman, and sell them to the white merchants, who arrived on the ships and ,who use to pay the the groups in Africa. In Africa,
On arrival in the West Indies, these black people were sold to the farmers, at different prices, and for more money, to make a profit.
Slavery started in Africa, and the Africans who sold the slaves are as guilty, as the Europeans. They sold their country men to white men for 30 pieces of sylver and less.
Why are we fooling ourselves, and blaming the white man only. No whiteman could enter Africa, to capture and sell a blackman.
Is the blackman who captured his brother and sister and cousins, then sold them to the white man.
Same thing happening today. Backtalk.killtalk,crooktalk,hidetalk and gossip,to destroy each other.
That is how the slave trade started,by the blackman.