Wealthy UK family to apologise in Grenada over slave-owning past

[MenInG]

A UK family will publicly apologise to the people of the Caribbean island of Grenada, where its ancestors had more than 1,000 slaves in the 19th Century.

The aristocratic Trevelyan family, who owned six sugar plantations in Grenada, will also pay reparations.

BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan, a family member, visited Grenada in 2022.

She was shocked that her ancestors had been compensated by the UK government when slavery was abolished in 1833 - but freed African slaves got nothing.

Speaking to the BBC in a personal capacity on Saturday, Ms Trevelyan recalled her visit to the island for a documentary.

"It was really horrific... I saw for myself the plantations where slaves were punished, when I saw the instruments of torture that were used to restrain them."

"I felt ashamed, and I also felt that it was my duty. You can't repair the past - but you can acknowledge the pain."

Ms Trevelyan said seven members of her family would travel to Grenada later in February to issue a public apology.

The family will give £100,000 ($120,000) to establish a community fund for economic development on the impoverished island and in the eastern Caribbean.

Ms Trevelyan said that in 1834, the Trevelyans received about £34,000 for the loss of their "property" on Grenada - the equivalent of about £3m in today's money.

"For me to be giving £100,000 almost 200 years later... maybe that seems like really inadequate," she said.

"But I hope that we're setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did."

The Grenada National Reparations Commission described the gesture as commendable.

Ms Trevelyan, currently a BBC correspondent in New York, said she had wanted to go to Grenada in the wake of the racial reckoning in the US.

A series of killings of African Americans in recent years led to the rise of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the US, which spread to other countries.

The BLM's stated key aims are the fight against racially motivated violence - including incidents of police brutality - against black people and other minorities.

The movement also boosted public pressure in several countries for compensation to address the historic injustice of slavery.

 

[Robert]

Interesting.

There was a Baron of that name - a colonial administrator during the Irish Famine. He said the Famine was “the judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson". He was slow to disburse famine relief, due to an extreme faith in laissez-faire, and certainly contributed to the death toll.

I didn’t know that his family were slavers too.

Heartening to see his descendants doing some good.

I wonder will other families who benefited from slavery now act in kind?

 

[pillionrider]

There was a Baron of that name - a colonial administrator during the Irish Famine. He said the Famine was “the judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson". He was slow to disburse famine relief, due to an extreme faith in laissez-faire, and certainly contributed to the death toll.

This reminded me of this bit from Tharoor's speech

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[Robert]

This reminded me of this bit from Tharoor's speech

The Empire mismanaged a lot of famines, mostly though not exclusively in India.

Reparation by government through taxation won’t happen. The people won’t accept it when so many rely on food banks. Most Tory voters even hate the idea of foreign aid.

But I think some initiatives such as this one by the Trevalyans can work.

 

[pillionrider]

The Empire mismanaged a lot of famines, mostly though not exclusively in India.

Reparation by government through taxation won’t happen. The people won’t accept it when so many rely on food banks. Most Tory voters even hate the idea of foreign aid.

But I think some initiatives such as this one by the Trevalyans can work.

There's a difference between mismanagement of a famine and deliberate policy. Not sure if you heard the bit I've set the video to, but I'm yet to see any Briton dispute Tharoor's claims with any facts.

And by the end of his speech, he makes it clear that he's not interested in reparation. Rather would like to see a symbolic 1 pound paid every year for the next 200 years. His main point was that Britain needed to start acknowledging its past and apologize for the worst like the Bengal famines and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

 

[the Great Khan]

The Empire mismanaged a lot of famines, mostly though not exclusively in India.

Reparation by government through taxation won’t happen. The people won’t accept it when so many rely on food banks. Most Tory voters even hate the idea of foreign aid.

But I think some initiatives such as this one by the Trevalyans can work.

Mismanaged? Oh my life..one day there will be a reckoning..perhaps not in our lifetimes but one day there will be for what your ancestors did to us..

 

[the Great Khan]

There's a difference between mismanagement of a famine and deliberate policy. Not sure if you heard the bit I've set the video to, but I'm yet to see any Briton dispute Tharoor's claims with any facts.

And by the end of his speech, he makes it clear that he's not interested in reparation. Rather would like to see a symbolic 1 pound paid every year for the next 200 years. His main point was that Britain needed to start acknowledging its past and apologize for the worst like the Bengal famines and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The west should right off the debt and allow countries to breath. They should also return the I'll gotten wealth laundered over the last 50 years and prevent it happening again..but they won't because they are afraid of Asia as it continues to take its rightful historical place as the worlds engine.

 

[Robert]

There's a difference between mismanagement of a famine and deliberate policy. Not sure if you heard the bit I've set the video to, but I'm yet to see any Briton dispute Tharoor's claims with any facts.

I’ve disputed it many times.

1. A cyclone destroyed much of the harvest.

2. A fungal blight got into the grain reserves.

3. Millions of refugees from Burma and Nepal streamed into Bengal ahead of the Japanese advance.

4. The British Army cut the bridges into Bengal, to slow the Japanese advance. So relief convoys couldn’t get through from the other provinces.

5. Raj administrators in other parts of India hoarded their remaining un contaminated reserves, terrified of the Japanese.

6. By 1944 the British and Indian Armies were able to push forward again, driving the Japanese back, distributing grain and bringing the famine back under control.

It’s true to say that Churchill turned his back on Bengal, but I’m unsure what more he could have done to alleviate the famine under the circumstances.

Yes he was a racist and an imperialist, and considered the Quit India guys traitors to the Emperor. As for deliberately starving the Bengalis and a million refugees? I don’t think he did.

 

[pillionrider]

I’ve disputed it many times.

1. A cyclone destroyed much of the harvest.

2. A fungal blight got into the grain reserves.

3. Millions of refugees from Burma and Nepal streamed into Bengal ahead of the Japanese advance.

4. The British Army cut the bridges into Bengal, to slow the Japanese advance. So relief convoys couldn’t get through from the other provinces.

5. Raj administrators in other parts of India hoarded their remaining un contaminated reserves, terrified of the Japanese.

6. By 1944 the British and Indian Armies were able to push forward again, driving the Japanese back, distributing grain and bringing the famine back under control.

I will look this up. Would be interesting to see such a counterview.

 

[SalimBhai]

The west should right off the debt and allow countries to breath. They should also return the I'll gotten wealth laundered over the last 50 years and prevent it happening again..but they won't because they are afraid of Asia as it continues to take its rightful historical place as the worlds engine.

I think in theory you are right the Bengali famine was not mismanagement it was deliberate . Churchill even boasted about it. But in reality we should move on . Look to the future not the past. Victory mentality is a self inflicted wound. We don’t need that. Plenty of people on this board suffers from it. Also if we do go with what you state and reparations are in order. Would you say the same should be applied to the ottomans? They were one of the more brutal colonizers. I would rate them with the Belgians as the most cruel and sadistic . Just to be clear I don’t support any form of colonization.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think in theory you are right the Bengali famine was not mismanagement it was deliberate . Churchill even boasted about it. But in reality we should move on . Look to the future not the past. Victory mentality is a self inflicted wound. We don’t need that. Plenty of people on this board suffers from it. Also if we do go with what you state and reparations are in order. Would you say the same should be applied to the ottomans? They were one of the more brutal colonizers. I would rate them with the Belgians as the most cruel and sadistic . Just to be clear I don’t support any form of colonization.

Why do you want to move on? Is it because they are white?

Inferiority complex much?

They should return the wealth. They should pay for the damages they have caused. Not just them but also the Yankees.

 

[Robert]

I think in theory you are right the Bengali famine was not mismanagement it was deliberate . Churchill even boasted about it. But in reality we should move on . Look to the future not the past. Victory mentality is a self inflicted wound. We don’t need that. Plenty of people on this board suffers from it. Also if we do go with what you state and reparations are in order. Would you say the same should be applied to the ottomans? They were one of the more brutal colonizers. I would rate them with the Belgians as the most cruel and sadistic . Just to be clear I don’t support any form of colonization.

Imperial Japanese colonisers were the worst.. They turned Manchuria and Korea into gigantic forced labour camps. Worked ten million to death. Forced a million women to become army prostitutes. Carried out human vivisection.

 

[SalimBhai]

Imperial Japanese colonisers were the worst.. They turned Manchuria and Korea into gigantic forced labour camps. Worked ten million to death. Forced a million women to become army prostitutes. Carried out human vivisection.

I was gonna add Japan also. But if you read up on Belgians and Turks they were just as brutal.

 

[SalimBhai]

Why do you want to move on? Is it because they are white?

Inferiority complex much?

They should return the wealth. They should pay for the damages they have caused. Not just them but also the Yankees.

Not because they are white. But I would move on as victims of the ottomans have moved on also.

 

[SalimBhai]

Why do you want to move on? Is it because they are white?

Inferiority complex much?

They should return the wealth. They should pay for the damages they have caused. Not just them but also the Yankees.

Also Spain has moved on as an example. You are suffering from victim mentality. You were the example I was giving in my original post

 

[Robert]

I was gonna add Japan also. But if you read up on Belgians and Turks they were just as brutal.

The Imperial Belgians in the Congo were horrific.

The Young Turks committed the Armenian Genocide which later inspired Hitler.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I will take the lady at face value, she may be genuine. But 100k when £3 million was gained?

Slaves existed throughout history but the westerners industralised it to huge business.

But [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] will come with some sort of lame excuse?

 

[Champ_Pal]

This is stupid. Just apologize and move on. No living person in 2023 owned any slave. Atrocities happened in the past centuries and it was common for all rich and influential people to own slaves. That does not mean modern Europeans or Arabs or Turks owe anything to the slavery in the past. People were mostly terrible back then and might was right and it is right even today.
There is a demand about reparations for African Americans in USA. Who is to decide who will get what and how much. Why will the decedents of any slave master be obligated to give away their wealth to the enslaved people from centuries ago?

People just want free money and they want to the White guilt to shame them and get as much as they can.

 

[Robert]

I will take the lady at face value, she may be genuine. But 100k when £3 million was gained?

Slaves existed throughout history but the westerners industralised it to huge business.

But [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] will come with some sort of lame excuse?

Why would you think that, given that my wife’s great-great-great-grandmother was a slave?

She was mixed-race, because the plantation owner raped her mother.

Why do you think I would excuse that?

Tell me, please.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Why would you think that, given that my wife’s great-great-great-grandmother was a slave?

She was mixed-race, because the plantation owner raped her mother.

Why do you think I would excuse that?

Tell me, please.

Not slavery but the west industrializing it but if not my apology.

Sorry to hear this it must be traumatic for her. What is her views about this sort of story? If you dont mind sharing.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The whole idea of reparations is a joke. The US is still establishing control over nations across every continent, does anyone think they will pay reparations? They won't even sign up to working towards environmental responsibilities.

 

[Robert]

Not slavery but the west industrializing it but if not my apology.

Sorry to hear this it must be traumatic for her. What is her views about this sort of story? If you dont mind sharing.

Apology accepted.

That which you term “the West” didn’t really exist at the time in that the slaver states - Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden - were often at war which each other, and North America was part-owned by Britain, France, Spain and Mexico.

Slavery - or the industrial version practiced by the Europeans and the nascent USA from 1776 to 1865 - is a knife at the throat of the self-esteem of the Black diaspora.

Mrs Robert recalls a conversation she has as a teenager with an African Black aristocrat. The African looked down her nose and said “You are the descendant of a slave”. Mrs R replied “You are descended from those who handed my ancestor to the white men.” The African girl spat her in her face and they came to blows.

If you visit The Gambia you can go to the village from where Kunta Kinte was stolen. They remember him in their oral tradition and still weep for his loss 250 years after.

Mrs R thinks government reparation is pointless given UK’s current difficulties, but approves of this BBC lady’s initiative.

Education is key to understanding the doctrine of white supremacy and the pain it has wrought to tens of millions over centuries.

But she believes that Black people are hated the world over, not just by Europeans and Americans but South Asians, Chinese and Japanese too.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Apology accepted.

That which you term “the West” didn’t really exist at the time in that the slaver states - Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden - were often at war which each other, and North America was part-owned by Britain, France, Spain and Mexico.

Slavery - or the industrial version practiced by the Europeans and the nascent USA from 1776 to 1865 - is a knife at the throat of the self-esteem of the Black diaspora.

Mrs Robert recalls a conversation she has as a teenager with an African Black aristocrat. The African looked down her nose and said “You are the descendant of a slave”. Mrs R replied “You are descended from those who handed my ancestor to the white men.” The African girl spat her in her face and they came to blows.

If you visit The Gambia you can go to the village from where Kunta Kinte was stolen. They remember him in their oral tradition and still weep for his loss 250 years after.

Mrs R thinks government reparation is pointless given UK’s current difficulties, but approves of this BBC lady’s initiative.

Education is key to understanding the doctrine of white supremacy and the pain it has wrought to tens of millions over centuries.

But she believes that Black people are hated the world over, not just by Europeans and Americans but South Asians, Chinese and Japanese too.

Appreciate this Robert. Mrs Robert seems a very intelligent lady esp as it must be a difficult issue to understand growing up , facing hatred or discrimination simply because of the colour of the skin.

I do agree with her there is hate for blacks around the world but people with intelligence would never think this way.

If you dont mind please show her the story of Bilal(as) who was a black slave but was freed by the Muslims. He was given the honour of standing on the Kabba and being the first person to call the call of prayer. Islam gave the honour to him , he was black at a time where blacks were seen as only slaves by the ignorant pagans at the time.

The Prophet Muhammed's (pbuh) last sermon was this.

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”

Muslims may have hate for blacks but they will be regret this on judgement day. Islam has no hate or anything towards blacks , on the contrary it orders its followers not to.

A short clip of the story I mentioned but the first call to prayer was in Medina.

Please give my regards to Mrs Roberts and thanks for sharing .

 

[SalimBhai]

Muslim has superiority over non Muslim though. It certainly did in the past and still does in gulf countries . The blood money for the accidental death for a Muslim is more than for non Muslims

 

[Robert]

Appreciate this Robert. Mrs Robert seems a very intelligent lady esp as it must be a difficult issue to understand growing up , facing hatred or discrimination simply because of the colour of the skin.

I do agree with her there is hate for blacks around the world but people with intelligence would never think this way.

If you dont mind please show her the story of Bilal(as) who was a black slave but was freed by the Muslims. He was given the honour of standing on the Kabba and being the first person to call the call of prayer. Islam gave the honour to him , he was black at a time where blacks were seen as only slaves by the ignorant pagans at the time.

The Prophet Muhammed's (pbuh) last sermon was this.

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”

The Caliphates were slaver states, overlapping the Atlantic Passage in time at both ends, and enslaving at least 20M white Europeans as well as a similar number of black Africans.

The Barbary Corsairs raided the British south coast and abducted 6000 Cornish alone,

But I accept that there was no plantation system, and that after a time of indentured service a slave would become part of a rich merchant’s or soldier’s household.

 

[MenInG]

Sunak refuses to apologise for UK role in historical slavery when challenged

The Prime Minister refused to apologise for the UK’s role in historical slavery and colonialism, and rejected a call to commit to reparations when challenged in the Commons.

Rishi Sunak said he was committed to ensuring the UK is an “inclusive and tolerant” society, and said trying to “unpick our history is not the right way forward”.

He was answering MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions when challenged on the issue by Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham).

She said: “This month marks 23 years since the passing of the late, great, Bernie Grant, a former member of this House, and the founder of the UK reparations movement in the UK.

“In his last Prime Minister’s Questions before his death he asked for an apology to the people of African descent living and dead for our country’s role in slavery and colonialism.

“But since then, prime ministers and heads of state have only ever expressed sorrow or deep regret.

“These are not sentiments that are befitting one of the greatest atrocities in human history.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...p&cvid=f65e5b01bb0e4ffeb0663dad357826f8&ei=13

 

[Major]

Appreciate this Robert. Mrs Robert seems a very intelligent lady esp as it must be a difficult issue to understand growing up , facing hatred or discrimination simply because of the colour of the skin.

I do agree with her there is hate for blacks around the world but people with intelligence would never think this way.

If you dont mind please show her the story of Bilal(as) who was a black slave but was freed by the Muslims. He was given the honour of standing on the Kabba and being the first person to call the call of prayer. Islam gave the honour to him , he was black at a time where blacks were seen as only slaves by the ignorant pagans at the time.

The Prophet Muhammed's (pbuh) last sermon was this.

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”

Muslims may have hate for blacks but they will be regret this on judgement day. Islam has no hate or anything towards blacks , on the contrary it orders its followers not to.

A short clip of the story I mentioned but the first call to prayer was in Medina.

Please give my regards to Mrs Roberts and thanks for sharing .

But why was Hazrat Bilal remembered and named as Black Bilal? He is referred to as Bilal Habshi in Pakistan, we have roads named after him. Habshi translates to black

 

[DeadlyVenom]

But why was Hazrat Bilal remembered and named as Black Bilal? He is referred to as Bilal Habshi in Pakistan, we have roads named after him. Habshi translates to black

Habshi translates as Ethiopian.

The same way the companion Salman Farsi is named Salman the Persian.

Nothing racist about it.

 

[Major]

Habshi translates as Ethiopian.

The same way the companion Salman Farsi is named Salman the Persian.

Nothing racist about it.

really? I take my comments back if habshi translate to Ethiopian

 

[MenInG]

really? I take my comments back if habshi translate to Ethiopian

Habshi is based on Habsha (region in Africa)

A lot of people in the Arab world have surname Habshi (belonging to that region)

Of course in Pakistan this is used to describe people who are black - and THAT is racism