Dear Editor,

I write in response to the column ‘Focus on nation-building, forget reparation’ published in the Jamaica Observer on April 12.

National-building and reparation are not mutually exclusive. Most people can walk and chew gum at the same time. The author chose to focus on the last 60 years of Jamaican Independence as mostly failure without taking into account the profound impact of the centuries of enslavement and colonialism.

Almost all economic deprivation in Jamaica can be directly linked to slavery and colonialism.

Let me paint you a picture. Imagine being beaten, raped, murdered, robbed of self-knowledge, deprived economically, and enslaved for centuries. Now imagine you are freed one day to fend for yourself with absolutely no resources. This would be no easy task, with many hardships along the way.

We are currently striving to overcome those hardships after being damaged, handicapped, hindered, and impoverished.

The author also makes a false equivalency of Africans being equally responsible for slavery as European enslavers. Africans may have sold our ancestors to the European enslavers, but they weren’t the ones who enslaved us for centuries or benefited from the unpaid labour that occurred from being enslaved.

One hundred per cent of the wealth generated from slavery in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean benefited Europeans. There is a reason why Africa is the poorest continent while Europe is the richest. Slave labour was one of the biggest contributors to that.

The author mentions that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Catherine were not born at the time of these atrocities but are being blamed. They may not be directly responsible; however, they and their progeny are currently benefiting from these atrocities while the progeny of the enslaved are still disadvantaged.

They may not be directly responsible for a colonialist past, but at a minimum they are complicit and need to open up that wallet.

Have you ever researched Queen Elizabeth’s net worth and from where it originates?

Imagine the author worked and wasn’t paid any wages from his employer for an entire year. Would the author forget about the wages owed to him? Absolutely not. He would continue to build his life and at the same time pursue justice.

We owe it to our ancestors to ensure this debt is paid. Compensatory justice is an absolute must and we will not forget about it.

Jamie Pearson

jtpearso@gmail.com