Jamaica is preparing to formally ask King Charles III to support discussions on slavery reparations and the return of artifacts taken during the colonial era. Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, is expected to present the petition during an upcoming meeting with the monarch.
Central to the petition are three questions that Jamaican officials wish to have referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. These questions are expected to address the lasting economic and social impacts of the slave trade on Jamaica.
"The question really should be: if in modern times we're still paying back the slave masters for the property that was our people, our ancestors, for property that was because of the abolition of slavery, then why shouldn't we be pursuing some remedy at this time?" Grange stated, referencing the historical financial arrangements made after slavery's abolition.
Historically, when slavery was abolished across most of the British Empire in 1833, the British government provided £20 million in compensation to slave owners. Jamaica, along with other former colonies, did not receive direct compensation. The loans taken out by the British government to fund this compensation were reportedly paid off as recently as 2015.
In addition to reparations, Grange also plans to discuss the repatriation of artifacts with officials at the British Museum. "They are priceless, they are significant to the story of Jamaica and we are working to bring them home," she said.
This initiative follows a prior stance taken by former British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015. During a visit to Jamaica, Cameron stated that while slavery was "abhorrent in all its forms," he believed both nations should "move on from this painful legacy and continue to build for the future," ruling out formal reparations.
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