Beyond Apologies: Reckoning with the Legacy of Slavery and Calls for Reparations

Extended Archbishop of Canterbury's Apology and Reparations in Context

The recent apology by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, to Jamaicans for the Anglican Church's historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade has sparked varied reactions, with some critics arguing that it falls short of addressing the full extent of reparative justice owed.

On a significant occasion marking the 200th Anniversary Service of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands at Kingston's National Arena, Archbishop Welby delivered a sermon acknowledging the enduring and detrimental legacy left by his predecessors' complicity in slavery. While the apology was recognized as a step towards reconciliation, local reparations campaigners, such as, expressed reservations, believing that it did not sufficiently encompass the depth of historical injustice and its contemporary repercussions.

The Anglican Church, like many other institutions involved in the transatlantic slave trade, benefited economically and socially from this brutal system that forcibly displaced millions of Africans and subjected them to inhumane conditions across the Americas and the Caribbean. Archbishop Welby's acknowledgment of these atrocities and his expression of remorse signify a significant moral stance by the Church, aiming to confront its past and foster healing among affected communities.

However, for and others advocating for reparations, including financial restitution or structural

Original article:

One local reparations campaigner believes that the Archbishop of Canterbury did not go far enough in apologising to Jamaicans on Sunday for the Anglican Church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. Delivering the sermon at the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands’ 200th Anniversary Service at the National Arena in Kingston, The Most Reverend Honourable Justin Welby acknowledged the lifelong negative impact his predecessors created centuries ago. Read more: https://jamaica-gleaner.com/.../weve-sinned-against-your... #GLNRToday

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