Jamaica Demands Reparations: Juneteenth Dispatch

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright Sponsored by [Cariuma]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Jun 15, 2022 Today Taking the lead of [Evanston, Illinois](, cities and towns across the U.S. are now demanding reparations for the ills of structural racism. National organizers see these local initiatives as building support for H.R. 40, federal legislation first introduced to Congress in 1989 by Rep. John Conyers, and reintroduced by Conyers in every legislative session for nearly 30 years. If passed into law, H.R. 40, which is now sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, would initiate a process for studying and making recommendations for reparations to repair the damages, past and present, of chattel slavery. And this movement for reparatory justice is not confined to the U.S. In today’s Daily Dose, we bring you the calls for reparations that are echoing in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, today. – with reporting by Kate Chappell from Kingston, Jamaica [Trust the numbers]( [Cariuma]( We’ve told you how good these shoes are, but if you don’t want to take our word for it, or the words of over 15,000 5-star reviewers… consider this. [Over 61,000 people]( were on the wait list to get their hands on these, and they are now back in stock. (For now.) Take your choice of over 10 colors and if you use the code OZY2022, you also [get an exclusive $15 off](. Do it now! [Shop Now]( A royal reckoning “Seh yuh sorry!” When the British royal family’s extensive entourage penciled Jamaica into the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s itinerary for March of this year, it’s unlikely they envisioned the [controversy]( that the visit would generate. That’s exactly what unfolded when they touched down in Kingston as part of a tour of the Caribbean that was intended to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 70th anniversary on the throne. Dozens of protesters demanded not only an apology for the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, but reparations. Signs bore the words “Seh yuh sorry!” (patois for “Say you’re sorry!”) and protesters used a loudspeaker to read aloud 60 reasons they were demanding “apologies and reparations from Britain and its royal family.” The roots of wealth On the overcast morning of the royal touchdown, protesters gathered outside the British High Commission in the corporate district of the Jamaican capital. They used a megaphone to call out the reasons the royal family should make reparations, while some Rastafarian protesters sang traditional Nyabinghi songs and held protest signs. Cars honked in support. While this island nation is rich in culture, music and history, it is a “developing” country and its social safety net is lacking. Activists, in part, blame the royal family for amassing wealth through the historic labor of enslaved Jamaicans. “How can we be jubilant when you have refused to acknowledge that your wealth was based on taking from Jamaica? We want some recognition of who we are,” Danielle Archer, a spokesperson for the Advocates Network, the group that organized the protests, told OZY. While Jamaica has made great strides in improving its socioeconomics, roughly one in five citizens lives in poverty, [according]( to the World Bank. Jamaica wants to move on In an [open letter]( to Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, the Advocates Network demanded an “apology and recognition and the need for atonement and reparations.” It was an effective strategy, if at the very least measured by the international attention and the conversation it sparked. The Prince was [reportedly]( “deeply embarrassed” during a meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. During the rather awkward encounter, Holness said Jamaica wants to be independent and deal with some “unresolved issues.” [What do supermodel Nina Adgel, comedian Pete Davidson, and actress Helen Mirren have in common?]( [Cariuma]( They've all been seen stepping out at A-list celebrity events in comfy and stylish [Cariuma]( sneakers. It's no wonder, with bold and saturated colors that are fashion-first and Internet-famous, that these are the shoes of the moment. But you don't have to pay celebrity prices with us. [Use the code OZY2022 and save $15!](. [Shop Now]( Facing the past — and the future Second independence According to the Advocates Network, these protests are the beginning of what they hope is a long conversation with their former colonial ruler to make amends for the past. The group of around a thousand Jamaicans and many civil-society groups are positioning the country for a “second independence.” That is, they want social and economic justice for the ravages of colonialism and the slave trade, which saw an estimated 600,000 people [transported]( to Jamaica to work the sugar-cane fields. “We are strengthening our voices and strengthening advocacy to improve human rights,” Rosalea Hamilton, founding director of Jamaica’s Institute of Law and Economics, and the coordinator of the Advocates Network, told OZY. A rocky relationship Jamaica gained independence from Britain in 1962 but retains the Queen as head of state. This has been a rocky relationship. On a visit to Jamaica in 2015, then Prime Minister David Cameron [told]( Parliament it was time to “move on from the painful legacy of slavery,” much to the dismay of citizens. The U.K. government is also responsible for the [Windrush scandal](, in which the government deported or threatened to deport Commonwealth citizens of Caribbean heritage who arrived before 1971, many of whom had come to the U.K. as children. [According]( to a recent poll, a majority of Jamaicans feel that it is time to cut ties with the monarchy. This time, dignity and pride “It is not business as usual here in Jamaica. There are crimes of humanity that need to be addressed. The creation of a republic and the essence of the concept of a republic is a government by the people,” Hamilton told OZY. In his meeting with Prince William, Prime Minister Holness was unabashed about sharing his perspective on his country’s future. “Jamaica is as you would see a country that is very proud ... and we’re moving on,” he said at that time. “And we intend ... to fulfill our true ambition of being an independent, fully developed and prosperous country.” [TAKE OUR POLL]( WATCH KAREN BASS on [The Carlos Watson Show](! How change happens Forcing uncomfortable conversation Groups like the Advocates Network play an important role in reparatory justice, [Dr. Carla Ferstman]( told OZY. A professor of international law at the University of Essex who studies reparations, Ferstman noted that it is the role of civil society to spur conversation and help initiate change. “I think reparations for historical wrongs is an important conversation that should definitely be happening in Jamaica,” she said. “It is difficult and complicated, and civil society networks can help to ensure that people are informed, help people to come together to express their views and ultimately to advocate for appropriate solutions.” Petitioning for what they want To date, the Advocates Network has raised its voice on issues of national importance, held protests and press conferences and garnered significant national and international coverage for its efforts. The group has launched a [petition]( stating that “the Royal family and the British government perpetuated crimes against humanity and must immediately start a process of Reparatory Justice with a formal apology as clearly stated in our [CARICOM 10-Point Plan](.” Severing ties Jamaica’s plans to become a republic are now proceeding and the Prime Minister has instructed legal experts to investigate the logistics of doing so. Meanwhile, the government plans to petition the British government for reparations, which some [estimate]( should be 7.6 billion British pounds. And Jamaica is just one of several countries severing ties with Britain. Under Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Barbados removed the Queen as head of state last November. Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica [are already republics]( and several other countries [have indicated]( their leanings toward independence. As Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia Grange [told]( Reuters, “We are hoping for reparatory justice … to repair the damages that our ancestors experienced.” [TAKE OUR POLL]( Community Corner How do you think former colonial powers should respond to calls for reparations? Share your thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](