BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth – The St Elizabeth Parish Council has rejected a resolution forwarded to other parish councils from the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) urging “meaningful” celebration of next year’s 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the former British Empire.

When the resolution was read at the monthly meeting of the council on Thursday, Broderick Wright (JLP-Lacovia Division) rose to declare that he could not support it.

Arguing that slavery and the trafficking of slaves were shameful aspects of Jamaica’s past, Wright cited what he said was a position taken decades ago by National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, founding father of the Jamaica Labour Party, that ‘we should celebrate our achievements (but) we should not look back at our shame.

No formal debate followed, but councillors – both JLP and People’s National Party (PNP) – voiced their support for Wright’s stance and a decision was taken in short order without a vote, “not to support” the KSAC resolution.

The meeting was being chaired by Shirley Myers (JLP-Southfield Division) in the absence of an ailing Mayor of Black River and chairman of the parish council Frank Witter.

The JLP holds a majority of 9-6 over the PNP in the St Elizabeth Parish Council.

The stance of the St Elizabeth local authority is in sharp contrast to that of central government and a range of non-governmental organisations currently involved in plans to join much of the international community in marking the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807.

Last December, Prime Minister PJ Patterson named a national committee, including representation from both political parties, to organise activities to mark the bicentenary of the slave trade’s abolition.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries many millions of Africans were transported in chains by Europeans from their homeland to the Americas in appallingly cramped and unsanitary sailing ships to work as slaves on plantations.

Historians say millions – in some cases as much as half of a ship’s load of slaves – died on the trans-Atlantic journey which usually lasted five to eight weeks.

Slavery itself was finally abolished in British colonies in 1838, though it would persist in non-British run sections of the Americas until well into the latter half of the 19th century.

The descendants of black African slaves make up the majority of the population of Jamaica and other Caribbean islands and are a significant minority throughout the Americas.

The KSAC resolution, moved by councilor Delroy Williams (Seivwright Gardens Division) and seconded by Sylvester Brown (Dallas Division) called on the Jamaican Government, the KSAC and all parish councils to honour “this important milestone in our history (and) move to make meaningful plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire.”

It urged that “a campaign be initiated to raise funds to erect statues and establish monuments at major places within the cities and towns, in honour of the roles played by British and Jamaican citizens, and institutions in the abolition of the slave trade and slavery.”

The resolution said the government and the local authorities as well as the Jamaica National Heritage Trust should make plans “to renovate existing historical sites, and to erect additional statues and monuments to transform Kingston, Spanish Town and other towns, ahead of Cricket World Cup 2007. Thus making our city and towns of historical interest to the thousands of visitors expected to attend Cricket World Cup 2007.”

In its preamble, the resolution noted that “the memory of this foremost chapter (slave trade) in our history is immensely significant to preserving our ideals of democracy, freedom, equality, justice and humanity, the sanity of our institutions, and to our development as a society.”

When contacted for further comment yesterday, Wright and another senior member of the council, Winston Sinclair (PNP-Myersville Division), insisted that the council had acted correctly in rejecting the KSAC resolution.

“I do not wish to remember that kind of thing,” said Sinclair. “Talking about the slave trade and slavery is just reminding ourselves that whites had domination over us. We need to leave slavery behind and forget it. all I want to know is how to develop this country.”

Wright added that Jamaicans, especially the young, should not be “constantly reminded that we were slaves.”

Rather, he said, the society should celebrate the “positives in our history” such as political independence.

editorial@jamaicaobserver.comThe Planning Committee

Professor Verene Shepherd of the heritage trust as chair

Maxine Henry-Wilson, education minister

Andrew Holness, JLP Member of Parliament

Professor Rex Nettleford, UWI vice chancellor emeritus

Beverley Lopez, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica.