Jamaica Hard Fast on Reparations

St. Croix Times Staff

Kingston, Jamaica -  “Jamaica will not waiver in its pursuit of reparations for slavery,” Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange declared during the 29th Seville Emancipation Jubilee. “We must repair the damage. That is why we will be petitioning the King of England, as we call for reparations for the damage to be repaired that they did to our ancestors,” Minister Grange cried out to the enthusiastic crowd gathered at the annual cultural vigil, which carried into the early hours of Jamaica’s Emancipation Day on August 1st. 

The day commemorates the end of slavery in 1834 and honors the resilience and sacrifices of the ancestors who fought for liberation. 

Ms. Grange emphasized that the fight for reparative justice is a vital step in honoring the sacrifices of those who endured centuries of enslavement. “It is because we must repair the damage, I call on every one of you, on us all, to reflect on our resilient forebears, their struggles and their triumphs. Let us commit like they did, to doing our part to make our homeland Jamaica a better place,” she stated. 

Her remarks come on the heels of a recent announcement in Jamaican Parliament, where she revealed that Jamaica is in the process of submitting a formal petition to His Majesty King Charles III. The petition will request that the King refer a specific set of legal questions about reparations to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. 

“Just consider our enslaved ancestors,” Ms. Grange told the crowd in a call for unity. “They died so that you and I could be free today. I don’t want you to take it lightly. We owe a great deal of debt to our ancestors, and we repay them by drawing on their incredible resilience to ensure that never again will the Black race or any people be enslaved.”

She urged Jamaicans to move beyond divisions, particularly in matters of cultural heritage, and to work collaboratively toward nation-building.