Advocacy and reparation, conversation with Rosalea Hamilton

In this edition of Reparation Conversations, a collaborative initiative between The Gleaner and the Centre for Reparation Research (CRR) at The University of the West Indies, Prof Rosalea Hamilton (RH) speaks with Sheray Warmington (SW), research fellow at the CRR, in an interview to discuss the work of the Advocates Network, the reparation movement, and the aim of Jamaica becoming a republic.

SW: Thank you for agreeing to speak with us and sharing your insights into the reparation movement and Jamaica’s push towards becoming a republic. First, tell us about yourself and what motivated you to become an advocate for the reparation movement.

RH: I am a social scientist, specialising in economics and law. I currently work with at-risk youths and vulnerable groups in crime-prone communities and I have actively worked to empower survivors of gender-based violence across Jamaica. I have also worked on climate change related issues. When you look carefully at all of these areas, you will see the crippling legacies of our colonial past. That’s why I’m a reparations advocate. It is imperative that we address the past as we actively shape our future.

Some people ask why don’t we just forget the past and move on? Marcus Garvey got it right. Our past shapes our future. He famously noted: “a people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots”. The challenge for us is how to use that knowledge to break free of those shackles that limit our potential to enable us to create a better Jamaica.

The conversation about reparation is a learning experience for many. For example, many Jamaicans do not know that the British Royal family started the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and have profited from the blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors. These are crimes against humanity.

I agree with the approach being used by CARICOM to treat reparation as not simply about money. Importantly, it’s treated as a process of reparatory justice. It’s about how we come to grips with persistent negative effects of post-colonial institutions, psychological legacies of self-doubt and low self-confidence/self-esteem, persistent debt and other development challenges. It is therefore important to remember the past, understand our legacies, the good and the bad, in order to create a better future.

SW: You noted that we should recognise African chattel enslavement as a crime against humanity. How important is that in centring reparation within that legal and human rights framework?

RH: I think that particular designation by the UN is important. African chattel enslavement was not simply morally wrong. It rises to the level of crimes against humanity because the international community has agreed that such atrocities were so inhumane that there ought to be accountability with remedies, including reparations. It is an important implication as there’s no statute of limitation on crimes against humanity.

SW: The Advocates Network, just like other reparation advocates, has called for an apology from former colonisers as the first step to repair. Why is an apology so important?

RH: First, let’s define what we mean by an apology. We’ve heard all of these statements of regret, but it’s not enough. There are important elements to an apology, with the first being that, if you apologise you, take responsibility for your action. An apology means that there’s some commitment to preventing it from reoccurring. Therefore, the continuing legacies that we see, for example, with respect to the Windrush generation and deportations taking place in a very unjust way, must stop if they’re serious. There must also be some repair for the damage done – this is the process of reparatory justice. I’ve argued that an apology is the best Jubilee gift that the Queen can give us. It’s the first step in a long process of reparatory justice.

As indicated earlier, reparations is not only about money. Yes, it involves money, and it must, because development is costly. And, if we’re talking about transformative development, that will be expensive. But it’s not impossible to find the money. Like the money paid to enslavers and their families over generations, a set of commitments can be made that could span two or three generations and can definitely help, in very deliberate ways, to create alternative institutions or transform existing institutions.

SW: The CARICOM 10-point plan does suggest that transformative development would be a response to the resource extraction that occurred during slavery, and which enabled the economic development and prosperity of former colonising states.

RH: They benefited directly from our pain. It’s really about addressing the inequities that have taken place, and working out equitable arrangements. Those that have benefited, including the Royal Family, ought to take some responsibility and repair the damage done.

SW: The Advocates Network released an open letter calling for an apology and reparations from the British Royal Family and government during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. What motivated the network to take such a significant stance?

RH: One was the timing and significance of a royal visit, in the context of COVID-19 and the related problems that we were having in Jamaica. The stated objective of the visit was to celebrate the Queen’s 70th anniversary and to celebrate our 60th. With respect to the 70th anniversary, we felt we have nothing to celebrate with the reign of their grandmother. For those 70 years, we have been struggling with a legacy of the institution of slavery and colonisation. And, with respect to our own celebrations, we felt that the 60th anniversary is a moment to reflect.

Our second motivation was that, in the reflection for 60 years, we say “it is time”; time to remove the Queen as head of state; time for us to set up a real republic of the people, by the people and for the people, and create a society and an economy that is in our interests. We need to break with much of the legacies that continue to under-develop our society and limit our development potential.

SW: Many people believe reparation is a lofty dream. What do you say to those people?

RH: I would say that freedom was a lofty dream for our ancestors during the institution of slavery. Only a few could see that the fight for freedom was just and worth the sacrifices so that future generations could be free. Most of the freedom fighters during slavery did not live to see freedom. Reparation is fundamentally about addressing injustice, inhumanity, and the destruction of millions of lives. I understand and agree with the sentiment that we must put more of our energy on the things we can do now to change the future. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t support any effort that addresses crimes against humanity. It is important to prevent their recurrence in new forms – like human trafficking/modern-day slavery.

This is the lofty, aspirational dream of Haile Selassie – made popular by Bob Marley – to create a world where the “philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned”. We need to create a world for our children where there are no first-class or second-class citizens, and where they can be treated as equals, as human beings. This is the philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because you are”... my humanity is inextricably linked to your humanity.

Send feedback to reparation.research@uwimona.edu.jm