A FEW decades ago, perhaps, the arrival of royal blood in the Caribbean would have been met with much pomp and flair, and certainly, much deference. The recent week-long Caribbean tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge- William and Kate featured pomp, flair, and deference, certainly, but it also spotlighted changing perceptions in the Caribbean.

In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the royal couple that the country was moving toward becoming a republic- a move made by Barbados last year that effectively removed the Queen as the Head-of-State. In The Bahamas, the royals were urged to issue a full and formal apology for their crimes against humanity- something they have never done.

According to the BBC, during the tour, Prince William expressed his “profound sorrow” over enslavement. He acknowledged it was abhorrent, and never should have happened. It forever stains history, the Prince posited further.

But taking proper ownership of Britain’s role in the horrific era of enslavement and the ensuing underdevelopment of the Caribbean remains elusive. Doing so would result in indemnification for the wrongs done to human beings uprooted from their countries, planted in the Caribbean, and forced to work for free to enrich the metropolitan countries.

That conversation on indemnification remains a crucial conversation since Caribbean countries grapple with the enduring stain of underdevelopment, derived from years of exploitation and now worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.

This brings into focus our reverence for the British monarchy and Britain all together. And as the UK Guardian puts it: “Many members of Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean are increasingly questioning its purpose, especially since they have received little support during the pandemic.”

But, it appears, is one which the former enslavers and colonisers are not yet ready to engage in. Prince William expresses his profound sorrow but won’t announce Britain’s intention to provide reparations to the Caribbean- despite the chants, calls, and protests unfolding around his visit to the islands.

Contextually, reparatory justice relates to the action of making amends for a wrong done, by providing payment or other assistance to those who have been wronged. And as I have written about in previous columns, Reparations have been something that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been advocating over the past few years through the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC).

Around the time the Duke and Duchess were in the Caribbean, commemorating the Queen’s platinum jubilee, I was alerted to the publication of a new book by distinguished Caribbean Historian Professor Sir Hilary Beckles. It is entitled, “How Britain underdeveloped the Caribbean.”

From the name alone, it is easy to discern that Professor Beckles gave the nod to renowned Guyanese historian Walter Rodney (who published a book entitled “How Europe undeveloped Africa.”)- a seminal publication that was as profound 50 years ago when it was published, as it is today.

But it was more than just the name. This new book adds to Beckles’ previous publication, Britain’s Black Debt; both books outline a key thesis: Britain’s exploitation of the Caribbean systematically subverted every indigenous development initiative from the region, preferring a dependency aid model instead.

Professor Beckles, who was tasked with chairing the CRC, attempts (again) to illustrate just how culpable the former colonisers are- particularly at a time when developing countries in the Caribbean are yet to ‘catch their levels’ but have been battered by the pandemic and are being battered by consistent natural disasters intensifying from the climate crisis.

For Professor Beckles, Britain must be held accountable by Caribbean governments for its plunder of the region’s resources – both natural and human – that has left lasting legacies of debt, sickness, and dependency.

When I discussed reparations previously, I was confronted by the perception that African enslavement was a long, long time ago and that we should just forget about it and move on. I disagree with this notion because I am aware of research that supports the position that many of the Caribbean’s pervasive issues- including health issues (owing to the poor diet on the plantation)- are linked to enslavement.

We have to also appreciate the massive debt Caribbean countries have are because of the economic structure they inherited (during colonisation which followed emancipation). Importantly, too, enslavement was a long period of treating Africans as though they were less than humans and not- deserving human beings, and as such, we see systems of white supremacy and black prejudice plaguing our societies today. Altogether, these have contributed to the sordid legacy of Britain (and yes, other European nations) in our region.

I don’t believe that we are oblivious to the link between our present-day problems and our grave history, and so, we won’t just celebrate the monarchy as we once did. Consequently, I agree with the calls for reparations because, yes, Britain underdeveloped the Caribbean.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com