Guyana President Irfaan Ali has called on descendants of European slave traders to pay reparations to descendants of those who endured unimaginable suffering during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
His demands came ahead of a formal apology from the descendants of Scottish 19th-century sugar and coffee plantation owner John Gladstone, who was also the father of four-time prime minister William Gladstone.
Ali said that while he welcomed the Gladstone’s apology, “an acknowledgment of the cruel nature of African enslavement and indentureship in Guyana and an act of contrition that paves the way for justice The Gladstone family has admitted that it benefited from African enslavement and indentureship on the Demerara and other plantations owned by its patriarch, John Gladstone.”
The fight for reparations remains an uphill battle.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain last week, Ali did not back down when challenged on his stance.
“Why should somebody who maybe had an ancestor seven or eight generations ago, long before they were a twinkle in their great-great-great grandparents’ eye, why should they have to pay now for what an ancient ancestor did?” co-host Richard Madeley asked. “Or why should they apologise for what an ancestor did centuries ago? Why should they still carry that burden?”
Ali calmly responded, “You should be concerned and you should pay because you, today, are still benefitting from the greatest indignity to a human being and that is the slave trade.”
During his national address, Ali asserted that the Gladstone’s apology must be bolstered with action.
“The descendants of John Gladstone must now also outline their plan of action in line with the Caricom … plan for reparatory justice for slavery and indentureship,” he added.
Ali also proposed that those involved in the slave trade be posthumously charged for crimes against humanity.
British native Charles Gladstone journeyed to Guyana with five relatives to deliver the formal apology.
“It is with deep shame and regret that we acknowledge our ancestors’ involvement in this crime and with heartfelt sincerity, we apologize to the descendants of the enslaved in Guyana,” he said at the University of Guyana’s International Institute for Migration and Diaspora Studies. “In doing so, we acknowledge slavery’s continuing impact on the daily lives of many.”
His great-great-great grandfather owned several plantations in the Caribbean, especially Guyana. The family also donated £100,000 ($121,000) to the institution to set up a research department.
Charles is one of many Brits who have profited from their ancestor’s cruelty.
In 2020, it was reported that descendants of Conservative MP Richard Drax controlled one of the most extensive plantations in Barbados and owned slave ships. Drax, worth approximately £150 million ($180 million), refuses to apologize for his ancestors’ part in Britain’s barbaric history or offer reparations.
