PM Holness says Jamaica’s reparations push is about justice, not just money

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Jamaicans to view the country’s pursuit of reparations for slavery as a broader fight for justice, dignity and recognition rather than simply a bid for financial compensation.

Holness said no amount of money could fully repay the harm caused by centuries of slavery and urged citizens to see reparations as an acknowledgment of the historical injustices committed against Africans and their descendants.

“Look at it from the perspective of respect, dignity, the change in how international institutions operate, the return of artefacts and things that represent our culture to their rightful owner,” Holness said. “A change in the flow of investments to support the development of the social infrastructure that is needed to actually repair the damage caused by slavery. This is how we should be looking at reparations.”

The prime minister was speaking during a press conference Monday following bilateral talks with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston.

Holness said Jamaica continues to explore several avenues in its reparations campaign, including a planned petition to the British monarch seeking consideration of legal questions related to the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans.

“Locally, we have been pursuing our own actions for reparations. We have passed in our Parliament a resolution which we will now perfect by presenting that petition to His Majesty, The King, and we expect that there will be some responses which will further advance the reparations cause,” he said.

Jamaica’s efforts come amid renewed international discussions on reparatory justice following Ghana’s successful push for a United Nations resolution recognizing the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the “gravest crime against humanity.”

The resolution, which received support from 123 countries, including Jamaica, has opened further discussions about addressing the legacy of slavery, Mahama said.

“There was a lot of apprehension before the moving of the resolution. But the response is beginning to become positive, even from countries that abstained from voting,” the Ghanaian president said.

Mahama said some European nations that initially abstained have since expressed interest in participating in discussions on reparations and reconciliation.

He pointed to recent actions by countries including France, the Netherlands and Germany involving the return of cultural artefacts to African nations. He also highlighted apologies from religious institutions, including the Catholic Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury, over historical links to the slave trade.

The Archbishop of Canterbury recently visited Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle, a site associated with the transatlantic slave trade, and apologized for the role of the church while offering support for a slavery fund, Mahama said.

Holness acknowledged that meaningful change would not happen immediately but said Jamaica remains committed to advancing the global conversation around reparations.

Mahama said Jamaica and Ghana are pursuing different paths toward the same goal and expressed support for Jamaica’s efforts to petition the British monarchy on issues of slavery and restitution.