by Xin Ping
BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- When Olaudah Equiano, a renowned writer of slave narratives, was kidnapped from the then Kingdom of Benin at 11 and transported on a deadly journey through the Middle Passage to Barbados two and a half centuries ago, what waited for him was a hellhole of toil, torture and death.
"There was much dread and trembling among us, and nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night," recorded Equiano on that horrifying experience.
Under British colonial rule, Barbados was the birthplace of the slavery plantation production model that was spread across the Americas, the graveyard of hundreds of thousands of slaves and the never-empty treasure bowl for British colonialists for more than 300 years.
Barbados gained independence 55 years ago and became a republic on November 30 this year, but the toxic legacy of colonialism has been haunting the nation of 287,000 Barbadians until today.
For one thing, the island country still relies on colonial structures and institutions though in new forms. The political status achieved by descendants of Equiano's fellowmen for the country's independence in 1966 was not translated into economic independence and power. Those who would be colonial rulers in the past have now turned into economic elites using grants, media ownership, campaign contributions to manipulate policies that protect and reinforce their own interests.
"The wealth gap, the ability to own land, and even access to loans from banks all have a lot to do with structures built out of being ruled by Britain," said Firhaana Bulbulia, founder of the Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies.
Debt is an even more powerful tool than colonialism because the old master can keep control without having an army. For decades, the Barbadian government could not govern their own economic structure and had to subject itself to external influence, while endless neoliberal "structural reforms" ended up with money channeled into the pockets of foreign bosses. Official data showed that the island was indebted with 6.6 billion U.S. dollars or 156 percent of its gross domestic product in 2020.
And there is an even more ruthless part of the colonial legacy: old habits die hard; old colonial mentality dies even harder. The British politicians whose ancestors were condescending to Asians, Africans and Latin Americans for four hundred years are still reluctant to give up their colonial privilege. They delightfully reside in coral-decorated old mansions of wealthy plantation owners for holidays, served by locals with iced champagne and lobsters, and they keep portraying themselves as the "civilized," "intellectual" or "democratic."
It seems so ironical that one week after Barbados parted ways with the British Queen, Foreign Secretary of Britain Elizabeth Truss called on Britain to "dump the baggage, ditch the introspection and step forward," saying "it's time for Britain to be proud once again of who we are and what we stand for."
For Britain, the bloody history of slavery seems just a "baggage" that can be easily thrown away. Yet blood and bones weigh heavier than words and rhetoric all the time. And such colonial landmarks in Barbados as the Newton Slave Burial Ground, where lie the remains of several hundred enslaved men, women and children, will always be remembered.
As the Royal Standard flag finally disappeared from the clear tropical sky, Barbados has indeed adopted a brand-new path, though still beset by challenges and struggles. It is time for the British government to face up to its moral duty and free Barbadians from the curse of colonialism, so that the beautiful island can create its own future. Enditem
(The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com)
