The Tribune

A Rastafari group plans to rally during King Charles III’s visit to The Bahamas, calling for reparations and a formal apology concerning injustices against people of African descent.

Royal Ambassador High Priest Richmond McKinney, of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (E.A.B.I.C.), said the group has prepared a formal petition it also plans to present to the King, calling also for African repatriation and greater independence from Britain, and a formal and continuing process of engagement.

The planned action comes amid wider calls for reparatory justice and a break from the monarchy. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC) recently said the Royal Family should not visit the country “empty-handed”, demanding an apology for slavery and colonisation and renewing its call for The Bahamas to become a republic.

Mr McKinney said the Rastafari community has advocated for reparations and greater self-determination for decades. He pointed to developments elsewhere in the Caribbean, including Barbados becoming a republic in 2021 and Jamaica’s efforts to move away from the monarchy.

“We can't say we are an independent nation when we still have to swear to the monarchy of Great Britain,” he said.

Mr McKinney said members intend to protest what they regard as continuing injustices against Black people in The Bahamas and throughout the African diaspora.

The petition calls for a formal apology from the British state, reparatory compensation and structural measures to address the lasting effects of slavery and colonial rule. It also seeks practical arrangements to help people of African descent who wish to return to Africa do so with dignity and support.

Mr McKinney welcomed the growing regional focus on reparatory justice through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), saying the organisation’s efforts reflect a cause Rastafari advocates have pursued for generations.

“We give thanks that CARICOM is on board now for reparation,” he said.

In its petition, the EABIC argues that the abolition of slavery did not repair the harm caused by generations of forced labour, family separation, displacement and exploitation. It says reparations should go beyond symbolic recognition to include meaningful financial and structural measures.

The organisation is asking that the petition be formally acknowledged and forwarded to the appropriate British and diplomatic institutions for consideration, with a written response identifying channels for further engagement.

Mr McKinney believes the Rastafari community in The Bahamas has grown over the years and estimates that it accounts for about 15 per cent of the country’s Black population.

He described the organisation’s work as part of a wider effort to secure justice, African identity and self-determination for Black people across the Caribbean and the African diaspora.