The Tribune

By CANON S SEBASTIAN CAMPBELL

SLAVERY is the most dehumanising institution devised by humankind; said to be the worse Holocaust ever. Millions died as a direct result of it and countless others indirectly. It cannot be rationalised and for it there can never be any humane justification. It was downright evil.

Human beings were rounded up, shackled and dragged onto ships. For weeks or even months those ships would sail around the African coast in an effort to increase its human cargo before setting sail across the Atlantic Ocean, sailing to that part of the world intent on selling human beings into slavery. The trip across the Atlantic took months, with human cargo jammed into holes.

First opportunity, if and when presented, enslaved human beings jumped to freedom overboard, to a certain death. Death was a liberator. These conditions on these ships presented the perfect breeding ground for dysentery and sickness of all kinds. Many were not to make it out alive. Their dead bodies were fed to sharks, while the survivors continued on a painful, hopeless voyage.

Arriving in the New World, an African was now a compete ‘nobody’ (a slave) sold to the highest bidder. These shores endured such a rotten, disheartening, inhumane, bitter institution for over 300 years. Human beings were used as economic tools to enrich the white masters. Life on a plantation was advanced only for economic means, even though it meant the emasculation and total destruction of human beings made in the image and likeness of God.

We celebrate August 1, 1834, as the singular most important date in our history up to this point. The physical shackles were removed as the four-year apprenticeship transitional system begun. It’s important to note that in 1834 the slaves were only given partial freedom; a new process was put into place. Ultimately, this process did not see its real fulfilment until January 10, 1967. For the first time black people truly liberated themselves and gave themselves the right to govern themselves. Up to 1967, whites only ruled as the system kept blacks in an inferior mindset. On August 1, 1834, must then be taken together January 10, 1967, when we won mental liberation. It was now total liberation for both whites and blacks. Whites were liberated from a superiority complex in believing that they had a divine right to govern because of the colour of their skin, while blacks were liberated from an inferior complex in believing that because of the colour of their skin they had to “stand back”. Both days of liberation are marked as holidays on our calendar.

These are some lessons for us:

1. The offspring of slave masters and slaves can now sit together at the table of equality without the complexes and move together towards one common goal.

2. The strength of slavery was partly due to the fact that black people turned on black people and snitched on them. Black people have always been their own worst enemy. Is it any wonder why the minority of whites own the majority share in our economy?

3. Why did the institution of slavery last so long? Evil always prevails when there is no soldiering for justice. Where was the spiritual and civic leadership?

4. Where was the church as a watchman? Compromised, with its hands in the cookie jar? Indeed, the church also owned slaves.

5. European countries should even today be held responsible and made to pay repatriation for the role they played in slavery, especially Great Britain and Spain. These two giants directly affected our parts of the world in such negative ways. In fact, with Columbus’ coming, all the original Bahamians, the Lucayans, were dragged out as slaves and taken to Hispaniola. Our country was raped of its pride and dignity by the Europeans.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Becoming a colony was the worst thing that could happen to us in our transition to nationhood. It told us that white was right and black had to stand back. All leaders were white people imported into our country. But 1967 liberated us form this enslavement.

7. Upon emancipation, slaves were freed to operate their churches and schools. These were held as one entity. Liberation, then, was to be undergirded by spirituality and education. The church was indeed making up. Out of this era we have rising up for example St Mary’s in Old Bight, Cat Island. The only monument built to mark our emancipation.

8. There were humanitarians championing the cause for emancipation in the late 1700s to 1800s, but the backbone of slavery was really broken when it was determined that sugar production was made cheaper through mechanical means as opposed to slave labour. The right thing was to be done for the wrong reason.

Father Kortwright Davis rightly asserts in his book, “Emancipation still coming.”

We must build many more institutions in our ongoing quest for liberation. Independence on July 10, 1973, was but one of them. What else? It is real sad this country voted against the equality referendum. A new generation must see that the referendum succeed. It is inevitable, common sense. Then on to the Republic of the Bahamas. Pray I live to see it.

March on Bahamaland!