Descendants of a 19th-century British sugar and coffee planter, John Gladstone, travelled to Guyana to issue a formal apology for their forebears’ participation in the slave trade. The FAMILY OF THE FORMER SLAVER acknowledged their ancestors’ involvement in this crime with profound remorse and sincerity.
The Journey to Guyana
Charles Gladstone, along with five other family members, made the journey to the University of Guyana. They stood in front of a crowd, expressing their regret for their family’s role in the horrendous past.
“It is with deep shame and regret that we acknowledge our ancestors’ involvement in this crime, and with heartfelt sincerity, we apologize to the descendants of the enslaved in Guyana,” Charles Gladstone said.
The Legacy of Slavery in Guyana
John Gladstone was an absentee plantation owner, but it was under his rule that a rebellion broke out in 1823 in Success Village. The uprising was brutally suppressed, and the leaders were beheaded, their heads displayed in the capital, Georgetown, as a grim warning.
Charles Gladstone acknowledged that the legacy of slavery continues to impact the daily lives of many, stating the family’s plan to form a partnership with the people of Guyana and work towards reparatory justice.
The Call for Reparations
This apology follows Guyanese President, Irfaan Ali’s call for Britain and other European nations to issue reparations for their role in the slave trade. He was critical of the descendants of slave traders and called for a plan of action in line with the Caricom’s plan for reparatory justice for slavery and indentureship.
“The trans-Atlantic slave trade and African enslavement were an affront to humanity itself,” Ali said. “The heinousness of this crime against humanity demands that we seek to right these wrongs.”
The Protest
Outside the auditorium where the FAMILY OF THE FORMER SLAVER was apologizing, a small group of protestors gathered. They held up signs reading, “The Gladstones are murderers” and “Stolen people, stolen dreams.” They argued that Britain and other colonizing countries owe Guyana and the Caribbean billions of dollars in reparations.
The Global Reparations Movement
Ex-BBC journalist Laura Trevelayan, whose family also apologized for their role in the slave trade in Guyana, stated that the momentum for the global reparations movement is being led by the Caribbean and its intellectuals.
“People like us support the Caricom … plan, and I really hope that the British government will begin negotiations with the Caribbean in the near future,” Trevelayan added.
Conclusion
The FAMILY OF THE FORMER SLAVER made a significant gesture by apologizing for their ancestors’ role in the Guyanese slave trade. However, as the protestors and President Ali have highlighted, there is still a long way to go in addressing the legacy of slavery.
