Why reparations now?

​THE EDITOR, Madam:

I stand with all who call for reparations for the slavery that killed millions of my African ancestors, in transit and on plantations. However, I do not believe that the time is right for this. Neither is the time right for the revision of our Constitution. There is a severe lack of education and information among the people of the many issues that surround these matters, and those who are undertaking it are doing so in the interests of their political parties.

If we are to get any meaningful apologies and reparations from the European slave masters, we must first demonstrate our capabilities and have evidence of our achievements, which we have not done over the years.

I know that to achieve success at any level, the entire team must be focused on a common vision. This can only be achieved by universal education and leadership which is focused on our entire condition so all can contribute, not abstract policy made to satisfy some vague entity for foreign direct investments. To date, every Jamaican government has failed to recognise the value and necessity of the elements which require most attention and that they must be pursued along with responsible oversight of all our resources.

LACK OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

I have discovered that money is only of value to those who print it, otherwise it is useless paper. We should pursue the development of value, of which we have a lot. It is of note that the early musicians whose music cried out about their lived hardships in the ghettos made millions for their producers and many died penniless, so it is with the politics and merchants. The people who brought fame to this country still cry for respect from their own so called leaders. We need new and better leadership, and a focus on our education.

We need to be serious about our future and keep our eyes on the ball of development of our latent value, for example, the recent departure of one person to work in the offices of our financial masters had the country in wonder about who would take over from him. We seem to forget that the same political party created the mess during their previous administration.

So what remained constant during all this? Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell, to name a few. Yet, where is the national track facility in each parish of Jamaica to continue the development of this talent? We had Don Drummond, the Skatalites and the Alpha Boys School, yet where is our national performing arts centre? We had Marcus Garvey, Michael Manley and Robert Lightbourne, yet where is our political will and integrity?

It is clear that Jamaica’s problem is not for want of money, it is a complete lack of visionary leadership. We are due a revised constitution and reparation for the crimes against humanity during slavery and a constitution that empowers us, but clearly the people who say they are doing it are not qualified.

HUGH M. DUNBAR, AIA

hmdenergy@gmail.com