Daily Black Immigrant News
As Charles III began his reign as King of Great Britain and 14 other kingdoms, politicians in the Bahamas said this new era of monarchy is a perfect time for an apology and reparations for those affected by colonialism.
Speaking to members of the media following the official announcement of Charles’ ascension as King of the Bahamas on Sunday in Nassau, Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said an apology and atonement for past wrongs is the right thing to do.
“[Reparations for slavery] has always been a major issue in the minds of the descendants of enslaved Africans and we know very well that the UK played a role in this,” he said.
“For those people who say we should remove it from the front ignition [since] we have emerged as an independent country [and] many of us are doing extremely well… I am telling those people that we write the historical mistakes.”
Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe echoed the opposition leader’s stance.
“The critical thing about life is not the mistakes you’ve made, it’s how you’re able to get up and improve and be able to correct the mistakes you’ve made…It takes a great man, a great organization to be in able to reflect to be able to say we were wrong. And this is an admission,” he said.
King Charles’ son Prince William, his brother Prince Edward and their wives were met with some hostility during their visits to the Caribbean earlier this year to mark the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Activists demanded that the royal family and the UK government pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans and indigenous people who were brutalized on the plantations that supplied the wealth that financed the kingdom.
While not fully apologizing for the evils of transatlantic slavery and British colonialism in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, Charles expressed his deep sorrow over the issue during a speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Kigali, Rwanda at the beginning of this year.
“As we strive together for peace, prosperity and democracy, I want to acknowledge that the roots of our contemporary association lie deep in the most painful period of our history,” Charles said.
“I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow for the suffering of so many people as I continue to deepen my understanding of the lasting impact of slavery.”
NewsAmericasNow.com
