Anne Bailey | Jamaica should become a republic not because of Harry and Meghan

Ever since Barbados declared itself a republic and swore in Dame Sandra Mason as president in 2021, there have been more and more calls for Jamaica to do the same. For years, since gaining independence from Britain in 1962, some activists have been calling for a more complete and comprehensive independence.

Self-determination is a worthy aim for any nation, especially as King Charles III is technically still Jamaica’s Head of State. Though largely a ceremonial role, he does have a governor general in place as is the case in other former British colonies. Furthermore, The Privy Council ( the Caribbean Court of Justice notwithstanding), established in England in 1833, is still Jamaica’s highest court of appeal. But an independent republic is more than just a nominal change. It could mean wonders if we understood why it is important.

I am writing this article in part because of a headline I saw in the Jamaica Observer a few weeks ago, “Defend Meghan Markle”. Others later claimed that her supposed mistreatment was one reason that Jamaica should finally go ahead and embrace being a republic. I say that there are a million reasons for being a republic, but the alleged mistreatment of an American actress and her British prince is not one of them. Whatever this couple actually endured is not for me to say … only that if our focus is on them and not on US and our history, then we have missed the mark. Whatever happens to them, (and I do wish for them all good things), I think they will be fine. Prince Harry’s trust fund from his mother alone is over US$10 million. So forgive me if I don’t think that their experience is a reason for republicanism.

SELF-DETERMINATION

I give three good reasons that might help to convince the powers that be and the people of Jamaica that self-determination is our destiny.

• Strengthen the call for reparations

The British, pushed by black and white abolitionists as well as freedom fighters like Sam Sharpe, abolished slavery through the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 but with a caveat: slave owners in the British colonies would be allowed to keep the enslaved in a curious arrangement called “apprenticeship,” virtually the same as slavery; but it allowed slave owners to regroup and figure out their next steps. More importantly, enslavers were given £20 million in compensation for the enslaved persons they “set free” - £20 million for the slaveowner, and zero for the enslaved!

So why a republic? As a republic, Jamaica could continue to make the call for reparations as it has been doing through the CARICOM Reparations Commission and the Centre for Reparations Research led by Prof Sir Hilary Beckles and Professor Verene Shepherd, respectively. Jamaica’s role in these efforts would be amplified and strengthened as it would be making the case as a fully independent nation that understands that the travesty that took place back then has to be made right. None of us can change what took place in the past, but we can make amends in the present. Furthermore, there would be more opportunities to form alliances with other groups like the National Black Evangelical Association in the United States, which is also seeking reparations for people of African descent.

• Advocate for favoured nation trade status

Prior to 1998, Jamaica and other former British colonies enjoyed favoured nation trading status with Britain. But as Stephanie Black’s brilliant film, Life and Debt, points out, this all changed when the World Trade Organization and the EU (led by the UK Agriculture Minister) ruled against this arrangement. What difference did this status make? It meant that bananas from Jamaica would automatically have a market in Britain. Small farmers and banana growers could pay school fees for their children, buy vehicles, and build homes. Once they no longer had exclusive access to the British market, they now had to compete with larger North American and South American companies (which had the ability to subsidize parts of their operations in ways that the banana farmer of Jamaica could not.) This had a drastic effect on the Jamaican economy and the income levels of our farmers. As a Republic, one of our first actions could be to advocate for a return to this favoured nation status.

• Address and rectify status of victims of Windrush scandal

I have written about this elsewhere as have writers Emma Lewis and Dr Hilary Robertson Hickling. Amelia Gentleman of The Guardian newspaper broke the original story. After World War II, Britain welcomed thousands of Caribbean migrants to help them rebuild the nation, many arriving in Britain on the HMT Empire Windrush. They worked hard, paid their taxes, and raised their children, but when their original countries became independent, many had papers from an outdated era. A new policy in 2012 called “hostile environment policy” literally took aim at them and deported many back to homelands where they knew virtually no one. Some died waiting for this travesty to be reversed. Eventually, (and here the Meghan Markle story does perhaps come in) around the time she was marrying Prince Harry, this scandal was exposed and the British government changed course, expressed regret, and pledged to pay reparations

Sadly, in spite of the advocacy of many brave Windrush campaigners, that promise has not been fully kept. Many of those affected are still waiting to receive their British passports and passage back to Britain should they choose to return. Again, we have no favoured status with Britain. The ordinary Jamaican still has to make an application to the British embassy to request a visa which is in no way guaranteed, regardless of our previous or current relationship.

IMPORTANT QUESTION

And s there remains one important question: When we claim our republican status, what are we going to do with it?

Three humble suggestions:

1. Let’s learn our history, all of it, including the history of slavery. Ironically, even King Charles has endorsed learning about slavery.

2. Let’s create a national service programme as I have advocated for previously and emphasize the core values of integrity, honesty, and patriotism.

3. Let’s love one another, treat each other well, and stop defrauding each other.

Finally, self-determination does not have to mean an abandonment of the relationship with Britain. There are indeed many good aspects to that relationship. It could, however, usher in a more equitable arrangement where we sit at the table as equals. So thanks, but no thanks, Harry and Meghan. I wish you well, but we don’t need a fairy= tale-gone wrong story to give us a reason to claim republic status. We have many longstanding past and present reasons of our own.

- Dr Anne Bailey is professor of history, State University of New York. Send feedback to reparation.research@uwimona.edu.jm