March 29, 2022

PM Rowley’s Call For Reparations

By Newsroom

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has made a call for Britain to offer reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, after a member of the British Royal Family recently admitted to the wrongs of slavery.

Prince William, during a visit to Jamaica last week, expressed “profound sorrow”over slavery, saying it  “should never have happened” and “forever stains our history”.

Speaking at his party’s Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day Celebrations ahead of Wednesday’s celebration, Dr. Rowley said: “I was very pleased to hear Prince William say that he acknowledged that slavery was wrong. And that the  British government- the British people- have some responsibility in that piece of unforgettable history.” 

He believes, however, those words must be backed by appropriate action.

“I want to say to Prince William- I believe you. But I’ll believe you more if you do what you must now do, which is to offer some reparations to the people who were wronged in the way that you acknowledged. It is not sufficient to say that I (you) acknowledge it, but not seek to help those who were harmed by it,” he added.

Prince William and his wife Kate last week embarked on  a tour of the Caribbean, visiting Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas for a series of engagements to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee year, marking 70 years on the throne.

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