Will Caribbean Finally Kick the Crown?

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( Sponsored by [Cariuma]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Sep 12, 2022 Today The death of Queen Elizabeth II is stirring many emotions in the Caribbean, where calls for total independence from the British monarchy are growing louder. – by Kate Chappell in Kingston, Jamaica [Make Your Feet Famous]( [Cariuma]( The celeb fave – Oca Low Canvas by [Cariuma]( is BACK IN STOCK! You heard us. These kicks are back and are finally off their mile-long waitlist. With rave reviews from Vogue, Fast Company, Forbes, and more, they’re going to go fast…again. With the Oca Low Canvas, A-List season is year-round. And while we can’t promise you the paparazzi will come flocking, we can guarantee you will feel like a ✨– whether you’re rocking a classic tee around town or a cozy sweater on your way to the pumpkin patch. JSYK: these never go on sale, but OZY readers get a special offer by clicking the link below and using the code [OZYSEPT]( for 15% off your next purchase. [Shop Here]( Caribbean Cries for Freedom Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Sept. 8 sent much of the world into mourning, but in the Caribbean, where many people are impatient with the pace of decolonization, the monarch’s death is viewed as an opportunity to expedite the process of severing ties with the British monarchy. In Jamaica, attorney Hugh Small, who earlier this year [burned]( his ceremonial wig in protest of his country’s ties to the British empire, told OZY the queen’s death is Jamaica’s chance to fully become a republic. But he worries Prime Minister Andrew Holness won’t seize the moment, despite promises to hold a referendum on the matter by [2025](. “I do not think that Mr. Holness is going to grasp the opportunity,” Small said. Meanwhile, in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said his island country plans to hold a referendum on becoming a republic within three years. “This is not an act of hostility or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence and ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation,” Browne told [ITV News](. Others are pressing Jamaica to act with similar urgency. “Jamaica needs to move swiftly to dispense with the king as head of state and more strongly support the now global reparations movement,” Sonjah N. Stanley Niaah, a professor and lecturer in cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, told OZY in an email. Niaah expressed skepticism about Prince Charles’ ability to capture people’s imaginations in the same way his mother did. “[He] will have to work hard to achieve anything near the respect and love she had. More significantly, the popularity that could have been achieved with members of the royal family, such as Princess Diana and Prince Harry, is now over,” Niaah said. [BESTSELLING IS BACK…for a second]( [Cariuma]( Meet the OCA Low Canvas, [Cariuma’s]( much-loved, signature classic sneaker. This sustainable take on the classic canvas sneaker will have you looking 🔥throughout the upcoming fall and winter months. Crafted from high-end, raw materials, it was made with sustainability in mind. From start to finish, Cariuma has consciously designed and made its sneakers – from organic cotton, natural rubber, 100% vegan insoles, and recycled plastics. And when you make a purchase using our exclusive code, [OZYSEPT](, you’ll receive 15% OFF and Cariuma will plant 2 trees as part of their Reforestation Program in Brazil. What did we tell ya? Sustainability is in their DNA. [SHOP NOW]( Are we getting our stuff back? Sabrina Barnes, a 16-year-old Jamaican student and member of [Advocates Network](, thinks the queen’s death raises more questions than answers. “I just wanted to know what our country is going to do moving forward,” she said. “Are we going to get our stuff back now?” she asked, referring to the Caribbean artifacts and jewels that were taken from the islands and put in British museums. In Barbados, which is now a republic, cultural ambassador, poet and musician Dr. The Most Honourable Anthony “Gabby” Carter says the queen should be remembered for who she was: a symbol of racist colonialism. “I have always been against colonialism and Queen Elizabeth never relinquished that position; she has never joined the people who want to see progress in the former colonies,” Carter told OZY over the phone from Barbados. “She had 75 years to do so and she did not do anything. Her record is not very good at all in terms of people of color.” On official channels, political leaders separated the monarchy’s history of colonization from the beloved queen herself, conveying sorrow for the death of the woman who for so long and from such a distance acted as head of state. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which nine countries are also members of the [Commonwealth](, [said](: “Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered for her love of and dedication to the Commonwealth of which she was a passionate supporter and leader.” In Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas, flags were at half mast. In Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness declared 12 days of national mourning and created a book of condolences as well as a salute by the Jamaica Defence Force. “The world has lost a global matriarch, who was a steadying and constant force throughout many crises and periods of difficulty. Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II made an immense contribution to the world in public life and was a close friend of Jamaica,” Holness said in a [release](. On social media, reactions are more diverse — ranging from sober references to the legacies of colonialism and demands for reparations, to raunchy memes about the queen’s death. WATCH LAWRENCE WRIGHT on [The Carlos Watson Show](! Demands for Reparations and an Apology Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, after the death of her father, King George VI. Her [estimated]( worth is $500 million, some of which was generated by profits from the slave trade. Recently, activists and politicians alike have been issuing increasingly louder calls for reparations and an apology from the monarchy for the slave trade. During a visit to Jamaica in March, Prince William said he [felt]( “profound sorrow,” while his father, now King Charles III, shared a [similar]( sentiment in Rwanda in June. But both stopped short of an apology. Severing colonial ties Barbados in late 2021 [removed]( the queen as head of state, and other countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia have expressed similar sentiments. Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Dominica are already republics. Jamaica could be next. During Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to Jamaica in March, Prime Minister Holness [said]( the time had come to move on from the monarchy and address some “unresolved issues.” Jamaica’s culture minister has also [indicated]( that the government intends to petition the British government for reparations, in a form yet to be determined. On the civilian side, Advocates Network, which [protested]( the Royal visit in March, continues to seek an apology and reparations. Community Corner What will be the lasting legacy of the British monarchy in the Americas? 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