The Zong Massacre
In 1781 over 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard the Zong slave ship to allow the slave owners to collect insurance money on their human commodities. This is one of …
Black in the Caribbean
Proud to Be: Reclaiming black dignity
The theme of Black History Month 2021 is Proud to Be. How did our ancestors reclaim their dignity and what made them proud to be after slavery? I grew …
Sir Francis Kerr-Jarrett – Jamaican landowner
Francis Kerr-Jarrett was a landowner and sugar manufacturer in Jamaica. He served as Custos Rotulorum of Saint James Parish, Jamaica from 1933–1965. Custos rotulorum is Latin for ‘keeper of the …
Tacky’s Rebellion
When the English took over the colonisation of Jamaica from the Spanish, they imported thousands of Africans as slaves to work on plantations of wealthy Englishmen. Like other colonised islands, …
Early Jamaican Maroons
Jamaican Maroons were escaped African slaves who had run away from Spanish owned plantations when the British took the Caribbean Island of Jamaica from Spain in 1655. They fled to …
History of the Dominican Republic – From colonisation to independence
Where is the Dominican Republic? The Dominican Republic is a country in the West Indies that occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second-largest island of the Greater Antilles chain …
Abolitionists and revolutionaries – 7 Black women you should know about
Here are seven Caribbean and American women who were abolitionists, revolutionaries and activists. These women fought to free their people from the chains of slavery, discrimination and the lasting effects …
History of Saint Lucia – From colonisation to independence
Where is Saint Lucia? Saint Lucia is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It is the second largest of the Windward group. Castries is the capital city. Saint Lucia was …
Flore Bois Gaillard – Saint Lucian revolutionary
Flore Bois Gaillard was a St Lucian runaway slave who led a band of free slaves called ‘Armée Française Dans Les Bois (French Army in the Woods). The life of …
Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile – Haitian revolutionary
Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile is notable as part of the Haitian Revolution. While there is much written about the men of the Haitian Revolution, not much is known or written …
History of Grenada – From colonisation to independence
Grenada is one of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere. Known as the Spice island, it is the world’s second-largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia and a significant …
History of Haiti – From revolution to civil unrest
Where is Haiti? Haiti is in the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds …
How Haiti won its independence
0n 5 December 1492, European navigator Christopher Columbus came upon an island in the Caribbean that he claimed for Spain and called La Isla Española (“The Spanish Island”, later Anglicised …
Samuel Sharpe and the 1831 Christmas Rebellion
Samuel Sharpe instigates a rebellion On 27 December 1831, the Christmas Rebellion began at the Kensington Estate in St James, Jamaica. Samuel Sharpe was the main instigator of the 1831 …
Tracing my roots
History has been one of my favourite subjects since Primary school so it’s not surprising that my family history is important to me. Black History Month is a good opportunity …
6 facts about Jamaica’s debt
For over 40 years the people of Jamaica have suffered under the weight of massive debt. Jamaica is one of the most indebted countries and spends twice as much on …
The untold history of Jamaica
This is a lecture that contradicts what we know of our history. It manages to span over 10,000 years of our history in under an hour. It looks at the …
Ackee and Saltfish – a match made in taste bud heaven
Ackee and Saltfish is the National Dish of Jamaica but neither ingredient is of Jamaican origin. Ackee Ackee is derived from the original name Ankye that comes from the Twi …
Street Boys of Jamaica
Jamaica has a population of 2.7 million people and 1.1 million people live below the poverty line. It’s no wonder then that some young children are the breadwinners for their …
History of Jamaica Welfare
Jamaica Welfare was founded by Norman Manley in 1937. It was the first large scale social welfare organisation on the island. It was formed from suggestions Manley made to United …
Rastafari movement
Marcus Garvey’s prophecies and philosophy shaped, the Rastafari movement. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born on the 17th of August 1887, in Jamaica. His teachings of black self empowerment are credited …
British Slave-ownership database – See who benefited from slavery
A new database called Legacies of British Slave-ownership has been launched by University College London (UCL). The database allows anyone to find out details of the families involved in slavery in …
Slavery: A 21st Century Evil : Child slaves
Slavery is alive, thriving and bigger than ever. The documentary, Slavery: A 21st Century Evil: Child slaves shines a light on child slavery in Haiti. Child slavery escalated six months …
Marcus Garvey: Look For Me in the Whirlwind
This is a comprehensive documentary telling the life story of the controversial leader, Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The documentary uses a wealth of material from the Garvey movement-written documents, film and …
