Reparations for slavery

**Reparations for slavery** be reparations for victims of slavery. Reparations fi take chaw forms, wey dey include financial compensation, legal remedy of damages, public apology den guarantees of non-repetition. Victims of slavery fi refer to historical slavery anaa ongoing slavery insyd de 21st century. Sam reparations for slavery date back to de 18th century.

## United Nations resolution
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/147 dey refer to measures to repair violations of human rights wey dey include restitution den compensation.

## Types
Reparations fi take chaw forms, wey dey include practical measures such as individual monetary payments; settlements; scholarships den oda educational schemes; systemic initiatives to offset injustices; anaa land-based compensation wey relate to independence. Oda types of reparations dey include apologies den acknowledgements of de injustices; de removal of monuments den renaming of streets wey dey honour enslavers den defenders of slavery; anaa naming a building after an enslaved person anaa someone wey be connected plus abolition. Development aid be generally no be counted as reparations. Sam dey view financial reparations be insufficient, den dey demand as reparations for slavery opportunity to repatriate to country of origin before slavery den "dey bring an end to de current political den economic system".

## By region of perpetration

##### Netherlands
For December 2022, the prime minister wey dem dey call Mark Rutte from Netherlands come apologize for the Dutch Government about their role for slavery during one event for National Archives for The Hague, wey e get plenty people from different advocacy groups. Dem also talk say dem go give €200 million to help 'raise awareness, make people engage and face wetin slavery dey do now', and dem dey plan big event for 1 July 2023 to remember slavery history with Dutch Caribbean nations, Suriname, and other countries. 

##### United Kingdom
By 2010s, e be said examples of international reparations for slavery be say dem sabi say slavery wrong, and dem go apologize for the matter, but no money go come inside. For June 2023, Brattle Group drop report for one event for University of the West Indies wey talk say dem estimate reparations for all di wahala during and after transatlantic chattel slavery go pass 100 trillion dollars. For October 2023, UK Reparations Conference happen, dem issue joint declaration say full reparatory justice dey must be 'pursue and achieve'.

##### Slave owners' compensation (1837)
Di Slave Compensation Act 1837 na one law wey UK parliament sign on 23 December 1837, e be to make sure dem go free di slaves wey dem go pay dem some money. Dem wey dey enslave people collect around £20 million as compensation for 40,000 awards wey dey for enslaved pipo wey dem free for Caribbean, Mauritius, and Cape of Good Hope. Dis one be like 40 percent of di British Treasury yearly money wey dem dey chop, and e fit make am about £16.5bn for today level. Some payments turn 3.5% government annuities, wey make the process dey long like dat.

##### Abuja Proclamation and ARM (1993)
Africa Reparations Movement, wey dem dey call ARM (UK), na im be formed for 1993 after dem declare Abuja Proclamation for First Pan-African Conference wey happen for Abuja, Nigeria, that same year. Di conference na Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and di Nigerian government organize am.

For early 1993, British MP Bernie Grant waka go round di country dey talk say we need reparations for slavery matter. For 10 May 1993, e bring motion come House of Commons wey talk say, make House welcome di proclamation and sabi say di proclamation dey "call make di international community recognize say di moral debt wey dem owe African people him never settle, and e dey urge all di countries wey profit from enslavement and colonization make dem check di matter for reparations wey dem suppose pay to Africa and Africans wey dey Diaspora; e recognize di palava wey still dey affect di economy and personal life of Africa and Africans for Diaspora and di racism wey come out from am; and e dey support di OAU as dem dey push hard to pursue di matter of reparations." Di motion na Bernie Grant, Tony Benn, Tony Banks, John Austin-Walker, Harry Barnes, and Gerry Bermingham dey sponsor am. Plus 46 Labour Party MPs don sign join support di motion, include di future opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Abuja Proclamation dey call make dem set up national reparations committees everywhere for Africa and di diaspora. Bernie Grant form ARM UK for December 1993.as di co-founda and chairperson, with im main pipo wey include: secretary Sam Walker; treasurer Linda Bellos and trustees Patrick Wilmott, Stephen A. Small (na British scholar wey sabi slavery) and Hugh Oxley.

ARM aimed:

* make we use all di legal waya we fit get back wetin we lose for slavery and colonization of Africa people for Africa and everywhere dem dey.
* use all di correct ways to make sure say dem bring back African artefacts from anywhere dem dey now.
* make we chop apology from western governments for how dem carry enslave and colonize African people.
* make we push for people to sabi how African pipo dey contribute to world history and civilisation.
* make we dey push for correct story of African history so we fit bring back respect and dignity to African pipo.
* to teach and gree African youths, for the land and abroad, about di sweet African cultures, languages and our big big ways wey we live.
After Bernie Grant knack bucket for 2000, ARM UK no dey active again.

##### Class action (2004)
For 2004, dem lawyer wey dey carry wahala, Ed Fagan, start case against Lloyd's of London wey dey handle insurance for slave ships wey dey do transatlantic slave trade. The case no work at all.

##### Apologies
For 27 November 2006, British PM Tony Blair talk say him dey feel 'deep sorrow' for wetin Britain do for slave trade, e say na 'profoundly shameful' matter. Reparations activists for UK no gree rest, Esther Stanford talk say Blair suppose give 'real apology', wey go follow with 'plenty reparative measures wey include money compensation'. Blair come chop another apology for 2007 after e meet Ghana's President John Kufuor.

For 24 August 2007, di former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, talk say he sorry for how London take part for transatlantic slave trade during di event wey dem mark 200 years since dem pass di 1807 Slave Trade Act. For him speech, he urge di British Government make dem pass law wey go bring UK-wide Annual Slavery Memorial Day wey go remember di slavery.

##### Heirs of Slavery
For February 2023, former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan wey her family get plantations for Grenada, go Grenada come apologize for the damage wey dem cause and also to give reparations. Her family don still apologize to di island nation for di harm wey slavery bring, and dem dey call British Prime Minister and King Charles make dem also apologize officially for di UK.

For April 2023, she start Heirs of Slavery, na group wey get pikin dem wey profit from British transatlantic slavery and wan make amends. Trevelyan family don drop money for education matter for Grenada through CARICOM, dem dey hope say Heirs of Slavery go fit do same for bigger level. By May 2023, the other members of the group be David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood; Charles Gladstone, wey be pikin of prime minister William Gladstone; journalist Alex Renton; Richard Atkinson; John Dower (from Trevelyan family); Rosemary Harrison; and Robin Wedderburn.

##### United States
Slavery finish for United States for 1865 when American Civil War end and dem ratify Thirteenth Amendment to Constitution wey talk say, "No be slavery or involuntary servitude go dey, except as punishment for crime wey person don truly guilty, go fit dey inside United States or anywhere wey dem get control." At that time, four million African Americans don free. E get times wey dem don talk say make dem pay for slavery, from the Atlantic slave trade, wey don dey since 1783 for North America, and now plenty people dey shout for payback for slavery for US as protest dey grow around police wahala and another type of racism matter. Dem dey call for both pay for racism and for slavery too.

U.S. reparations movement leaders don create dis racial repair framework wey go fit categorize wetin go happen for reparations for slavery: 1. Reckoning: Understand wetin happen, who do am, how e happen and why e happen. 2. Acknowledgment: Make public say harm don happen. 3. Accountability: Own up and promise say you go take action, stop di harm and make am better. 4. Redress: Dem go do restitution, give money and help people, plus take steps wey go bring racial justice come inside system and 'heal di wound'.

##### Support for reparations
For politics matter, dem don propose bill wey go make dem pay reparations for slavery. Na the 'Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act' be di name, wey di former Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) dey carry go Congress every year from 1989 till e resign for 2017.As e name talk am, di bill sabi say make dem fit create one commission we go study di "impact of slavery on di social, political and economic life for we country"; but e get some cities and institutions wey don start reparations for di US (check § Legislation and other actions for di list).

For 1999, African-American lawyer wey dey fight for equality, Randall Robinson, wey start TransAfrica group, talk say America history of race wahala, lynching, and discrimination don cause $1.4 trillion loss for African Americans.Economist Robert Browne talk say, di main aim of reparations be to "bring back di black community to di economic level e for dey if dem no suffer slavery and discrimination". Him dey estimate say true compensation go be anywhere wey dey between $1.4 to $4.7 trillion, or about $142,000 (wey be like $188,000 for 2024) for every black American wey dey alive now. Other estimates dey range from $5.7 to $14.2 and $17.1 trillion.

For 2014, American journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates drop one article wey him title am "The Case for Reparations", wey talk say slavery and Jim Crow laws still dey affect people. Him dey shout for people to pay reparations again. Coates dey mention Rep. John Conyers Jr. H.R.40 Bill, and him point say Congress no fit pass this bill, e show say dem no dey ready to correct wetin dem don do wrong before.

For September 2016, United Nations' Work Group wey dey check on People of African Descent tell Congress make dem pass H.R.40 to study how to fit do reparations. But, dem no gree support any specific reparations plan. Dem report show say racial inequality still dey affect America, and dem talk say "Even though plenty things don change since Jim Crow time and civil rights fight, that ideology wey dey make one group feel say dem get power over another still dey make life hard for African Americans today." The report con add say, "that wahala ideology wey dey cause systemic racism dey make people no fit live together well for the US."

Di matter of reparations com back for 2020 as di Black Lives Matter movement talk say na one of dem policy wey dem wan pursue for United States.

For 2020, rapper T.I. dey behind reparations wey go give every African American US$1 million and e talk say slavery cause plenty people for jail, poverty and many other wahala.

##### Caribbean
Reparations talk really blow up for 2020 as Black Lives Matter group dey shout for am no be small for USA. When you look am from international law side, e be question if watin happen like slavery and genocide don sweet like sweet at di time wey dem do am for Caribbean; for example, 'Even though genocide don dey happen since ancient times, e be only early 20th century wey international law start to prohibit am.' Plus, as per wetin dem dey agree globally, any new government go still carry di tag of providing reparative justice.

With di international principle wey dey talk about intertemporal law, wetin we fit ban today no fit apply back. Some people even talk say, exceptions dey for intertemporal law when e come to crimes against humanity because European countries no fit expect slavery for future to dey legal (dem fit call am teleological reduction of di principle). But abeg, e be complex law matter we dey talk so.

##### CARICOM Reparations Commission
Di Caribbean Community (CARICOM), wey dem set up for 1973, na intergovernmental group wey be political and economic union of 15 member countries for di Caribbean. E be only di English-speaking side wey join until 1995 when Suriname (Dutch) come enter; Haiti and some other non-Anglophone nations don follow join too.

For 2013, when dem start one lecture series for Georgetown, Guyana, to mark 250 years since the 1763 Berbice Slave Revolt, the Principal for Cave Hill Campus of University of the West Indies, Sir Hilary Beckles, talk say make CARICOM countries follow wetin Jews do when dem dey face wahala during Second World War, and how dem don gather money for Jewish reparations fund. E be after Beckles' advice, dem come create CARICOM Reparations Commission for September 2013. For 2014, 15 Caribbean nations come dey show the 'CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice', wey talk about how dem wan collect reparations from Europe... for all the wahala wey Atlantic slave trade put people through. Dem dey ask for plenty things, like formal apology from all di countries wey fit involved (not be just 'statements of regret'), make dem bring back di displaced Africans go dem own land, programs wey go help Africans sabi dem own history and share am, and institutions to make sure di descendants of slavery fit read well, be healthy, and get good mind. Di representatives wey dey represent Caribbean states don talk plenty times say dem go carry dis wahala go International Court of Justice (ICJ). But as January 2023, nothing don happen wey go make di Barbadian Government case fit go international arbitration.

##### Antigua and Barbuda
For 2011, Antigua and Barbuda don talk say make dem dey ask for reparations for United Nations. Dem say, "the way dem dey segregate and use violence for people wey get African blood don hold dem back from progress as nations, communities and individuals". Fast forward to 2016, the Ambassador wey represent Antigua and Barbuda for United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, don urge Harvard University make dem show say dem dey sorry and pay debt to some slaves wey no fit mention from Antigua and Barbuda. Sanders talk say the first law professor for Harvard, Isaac Royall Jr., use the slaves wey dey his plantation for Antigua when e dey build Harvard Law School. E suggest say make dem do the reparations as yearly scholarships for Antiguans and Barbudans.

##### Barbados
For 2012, Barbados government set up twelve people Reparations Task Force wey go help push for reparations matter locally, regionally, and internationally. Dem dey run the show for 'calling for reparations from colonial people for wetin slaves and their families suffer.' 

Dem talk say Barbados dey lead di way (as 2021 be) for dem wey dey call for dem wey go pay reparations for slavery.

By January 2023, Barbados National Task Force on Reparations, part of CARICOM Reparations Commission, dey hot on wealthy British MP Richard Drax for him family paddy wey get hand for slavery matter. Drax family get big estate for Barbados; Richard Drax dey worth 'at least £150m.' If dem no gree make Drax Hall return to Barbados, government go carry am go international arbitration.

##### Guyana
For 2007, Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo don talk say European countries make dem pay back for slave trade. President Jagdeo yan: "Even though some people for international community don sabi say dem get hand for this bad matter, dem need to carry am go further and support make dem pay reparations." For 2014, Guyana Parliament come set up "Reparations Committee of Guyana" wey go check how slavery affect people and create formal demand for dem to pay back.

##### Haiti
Haiti take im independence from France for 1804 after wahala wey no dey easy, so di matter for reparations fit make sense. After small time, France come demand say di new Haiti go pay dem 90 million francs for di 'theft' wey be di lives of di people wey dem enslave (dem call am compensated emancipation) and di land wey dem turn to sugar and coffee farms to sabi say di new nation get im independence. French banks and Citibank carry di debt go and e finish for 1947.

For 2003, di president wey dey Haiti den Jean-Bertrand Aristide talk say make France pay Haiti more than US$21 billion, na wetin be di current money wey e equal to di 90 million gold francs wey Haiti gatz pay to fit get international recognition. Aristide later accuse France and di United States say dem carry him go down for coup wey dem do am well well: e say na because of di demands wey him make.

##### Jamaica
For 2004, some Jamaican activists join together, with Rastafari pipo dey demand say European countries wey join for slave trade go fit support make dem settle 500,000 Rastafari for Ethiopia (dem dey calculate am say na 72.5 billion pound sterling, or about $150,000 per person). But British government no gree take the demand.

For 2012, Jamaican Government don wake back their reparations commission make dem fit check if di country go fit ask for apology or reparations from Britain for wetin dem do for slave trade. Dem opposition talk say because Britain help stop di slave trade, dem no suppose give any reparations. For 2021, Jamaican government check di matter again about reparations for slavery. Reports show say dem dey look for like 7 billion pounds sterling as reparations for di damages wey slavery cause, plus di 20 million wey British government don pay to former enslavers.

##### Muslim world
Dem don talk say make dem fit give reparations for di slavery wey happen for Muslim world.

## By region of origin of slaves

##### Africa
For 1999, di African World Reparations and Repatriation Truth Commission yan say West make dem pay Africa $777 trillion (like $1.34 quadrillion for 2023) within five years.

For September 2001, United Nations host World Conference wey dey tackle Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and all di wahala for Durban, South Africa. Di Durban Review Conference come drop one resolution wey talk say di West suppose pay back Africa because of di "racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and di yawa wey Atlantic slave trade bring come". Plenty African leaders back this resolution. Di former Minister of Justice for Sudan, Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, talk say di slave trade na di main wahala wey dey cause Africa current gbege.

President Cyril Ramaphosa dey back reparations for slavery and slave trade, to celebrate 20 years of Durban declaration.https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2021-09-22-un-must-prioritise-repatriation-of-victims-of-slave-trade-says-ramaphosa/https://dirco.gov.za/president-cyril-ramaphosa-arrives-in-addis-ababa-ethiopia-leading-the-south-african-delegation-to-the-african-union-summit/https://www.news24.com/ramaphosa-asks-un-to-discuss-reparations-for-slavery-20210922https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-africa-caribbean-united-states-middle-east-7954470f191f811d6bcc65542faa6f32https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-22/south-africa-calls-for-reparations-for-victims-of-slave-trade

##### African Union and Caricom Global Reparation Fund
African Union and Caricom dem set up Global Reparation Fund for conference wey happen for Ghana for November 2023. President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, talk for the conference say, "All di time wey slavery dey happen, our progress, for money, culture, and mind matter, dey suffer. Plenty stories dey about families wey slavery scatter ... You no fit put number for di wahala wey dem tragedies cause, but e need make we sabi am."

## Criticism
Pipo no dey support slavery reparations well well for America. One study wey YouGov do for 2014 show say only 37% of Americans feel say dem for pay cash to enslaved pipo when dem free am. Plus, only 15% believe say the children of dem wey be enslaved for collect cash too. E show say black and white Americans get clear wahala. The study talk say: "Only 6% of white Americans gree say make dem pay cash to the children of slaves, but 59% of black Americans dey support am. E be same too, only 19% of whites – but 63% of blacks – go support special education and job training programs for the children of slaves."

For 2014, as Ta-Nehisi Coates drop im article wey dem dey call "The Case for Reparations", one conservative journalist, Kevin D. Williamson, come publish im own article wey dem name "The Case Against Reparations". Inside dat one, Williamson talk say: "De people wey dem owe reparations don don die long time ago."

## References


## Read further
* 

* Araujo, Ana Lucia. 2017. *Reparations for Slavery and the Slave Trade: A Transnational and Comparative History*, New York / London: Bloomsbury Academic. 
* Barragan, Yesenia. 2021. *Freedom's Captives: Slavery and Gradual Emancipation on the Colombian Black Pacific (Afro-Latin America)*, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 
* Beckles, Hilary. *Britain's Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide*, Kingston: University of the West Indies Press, 2013. 
* Buser, Andreas. "Colonial Injustices and the Law of State Responsibility: The CARICOM Claim to Compensate Slavery and (Native) Genocide", *Heidelberg Journal of International Law* (2017), pp.&nbsp;409–446.

* Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The Case for Reparations", *The Atlantic*, June 2014.
* du Plessis, Max. 2003. "Historical Injustice and International Law: An Exploratory Discussion of Reparation for Slavery" Human Rights Quarterly, 25(3), 624–659.
* Manjapra, Kris. June 17, 2022. "D.C.'s Enslavers Got Reparations. Freed People Got Nothing", *Politico*.
* Manjapra, Kris. 2019. "The Scandal of the British Slavery Abolition Act Loan", *Social and Economic Studies*, 68(3/4), 165–184. JSTOR 45299245

* America, Richard F. *Wealth of Races: The Present Value of Benefits from Past Injustices*. Praeger Press, 2002. 
* Burlette, Carterm W.. "True Reparations", *The George Washington Law Review*, Vol. 68, No. 1021, 2000.
* America, Richard F. "Racial Inequality, Economic Dysfunction, and Reparations*,* Challenge, *Vol. 38, No. 6, 1995, pp.&nbsp;40–45. [[JSTOR (identifier)|JSTOR]] [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40721651 40721651]*

## External links

* *[https://policy.m4bl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Reparations-Now-Toolkit-FINAL.pdf Reparations Now Toolkit] [https://web.archive.org/web/20191015100013/https://policy.m4bl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Reparations-Now-Toolkit-FINAL.pdf Archived] 15 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine*, Movement for Black Lives, 2019.
* *[http://www.c-span.org/person/?richardamerica The Case for Black Reparations]*, Richard F. America, C-SPAN video of the TransAfrica Forum, 11 January 2000.
* *[https://www.npr.org/programs/specials/racism/010827.reparations.html Making Amends: Debate Continues Over Reparations for U.S. Slavery]*, National Public Radio, August 27, 2001.
*Reparations and Climate Justice (w/ Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò), part of the Teach the Black Freedom Struggle online series.
* Caribbean Reparations Commission