UK stole 25 million years of life and labour through slavery in Barbados, research finds
Summary
New research shows that slavery in Barbados, a British colony, took away 25 million years of life and work from people of African descent. The study estimates this caused economic harm worth up to $2 trillion but says this number is not a demand for payment, rather a basis for discussion and healing.Key Facts
- Britain enslaved people in Barbados for about 200 years, starting in the early 1600s.
- The research estimates 25 million years of life and labor were stolen through slavery in Barbados.
- The economic damage to descendants of enslaved people in Barbados could be up to $2 trillion.
- The $2 trillion figure includes unpaid labor valued between $500 billion and $700 billion, and lost lifespan valued between $1.1 trillion and $1.3 trillion.
- Around 379,000 people were brought from Africa to Barbados, 78,000 died during the journey, and 335,000 were born into slavery on the island.
- When slavery ended in 1834, Britain paid £20 million to slave owners but compensated no enslaved people.
- The research is intended to help start conversations about reparations and reconciliation, not to demand immediate payment.
- Barbados plans to use this research to support their calls for reparatory justice and will submit it to their government for approval.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.