As Dominica commemorates Black History Month alongside the global community, Dr. Damien Dublin, the President of the Dominica Reparations Committee, persistently advocates for the incorporation of black history into the educational curriculum.
In an interview with the state-owned Radio DBS, Dr. Dublin expressed, “Our committee has proposed the inclusion of black history in the school curriculum. We remain hopeful that this will be implemented in due course.”
He further mentioned that several books have been published under the auspices of the CARICOM Reparations Committee and the Centre for Reparations Research. “We aspire for these books to be accessible and distributed across the islands,” he added.
Dr. Dublin urged all Dominicans to utilize this month to delve deeper into their history. “All citizens, particularly the descendants of enslaved Africans, should use this month to learn more about their heritage, their accomplishments, and the numerous inventions attributed to them,” he suggested.
He emphasized, “This will foster a heightened sense of awareness and self-esteem, leading to the complete liberation of our minds from mental slavery and enabling us to perceive ourselves differently.”
Dr. Dublin concluded, “The information is readily available. We are simply encouraging individuals to conduct their own research during this month and become more informed.”
Black History Month, celebrated annually in February, is a time to acknowledge the significant contributions of African Americans and their central role in U.S. history. It also provides an opportunity to explore Black histories beyond narratives of racism and slavery, highlighting Black accomplishments.
The fight for reparations for slavery in the Caribbean has been a long journey. The Caribbean was at the core of the transatlantic slave trade, with about 40% of enslaved Africans shipped to the Caribbean Islands1. In 2013, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) established the Caricom Reparations Commission (CRC) to establish the moral, ethical, and legal case for reparations from former colonial powers2. Barbados has been one of the loudest voices in this fight, with public support mobilized by a national task force on reparations3. The fight continues today, with calls for institutions and individuals who profited from slavery to make amends.
Twelve CARICOM member states have established national reparations committees. These include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission has expanded the list of countries to be targeted for reparation. The African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have also partnered to form a “united front” to persuade European nations to pay for “historical mass crimes”. They have established a global fund based in Africa with the aim of accelerating. However, the response from European nations has been varied with some resistance to the concept of reparations.
Indeed Black History or more appropriately African History has to be taught at all our schools. After all, it’s the right thing to do. We have European history, even a Confucius classroom slowly at our only college. It’s powerful to stay focused, teach your own History for your future and the future of your youth.
Man if i could extract you from my computer screen, i would do so. Why can’t you first address all the ill taking place in Dominica by members of your government. You are nothing more than a fake. Don’t tell me any ‘darn’ thing about reparation, when in your own country you are like a moo moo, when injustices abound all around you.Hypocrite!
Every year, same thing.
These people on their reparations committee are just there to feel important. So called Black people will never ever get reparations for slavery, I guarantee this. Hell, we didn’t get our fourth acres and a mule, so we ain’t getting nothing. They’ve done given all to the so called Jews. None left for the Black Man. I’m any case, they are still Slaves, so we don’t have to give them a dime, let them bleet about reparations, we’ll just throw some platitudes at them and they will lap it up. It was your God who sent you into Slavery and only he will get you out of Slavery.
And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt (bondage) again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. Deuteronomy 28:68
Nothing surprising about that passion, that’s how we’ve been ‘educated’ to think but it’s not about passion. It’s a debt that is owed and has to be paid. Remember you have to follow them to church on Sunday to fool that God. Whether represented by this guy, Linton, Mamo, it’s wiser for them to pay or start paying now or, as usual, squander their future generations into paying exponentially. You “negro” won’t feel it, only your whittie feelings will be hurt.
Caribbean leaders will mandate a curriculum that teaches Afro Caribbean children about Aztecs and English monarchy – but they refuse to teach Afro-Caribbean children about African history. If we cannot see that our education governance is a sell out set up, designed to serve colonisers then we just blind.
Ask Skerrit and the education minister to give a direct explanation for this and watch them spin and misdirect the conversation. Sell outs!
So, now that Dublin has spoken, I demand that he submit to the audience on DNO anything significant in science, anything relevant in the development of human welfare universally that came out of Dominica, during slavery, or since the abolition of slavery!
You see in the Caribbean, it is all about talk and no action it’s about drinking alcohol, getting inebriated, dancing calypso and other music!
Where are our institutions doing R&D via any form of scientific method? Since the advent of the UWI in 1948 have anyone ever heard of any research being conducted there to find a cure for any kind of tropical disease or anything on the continents of the world?
You see such are the purpose of institutions of higher learning.
He speaks of CARICOM reparation; bs, all they looking for is fee money!
Our forefathers in Africa sold us into slavery, so which West African nation are they going to ask to pay with the white nation’s for the bonds of slavery?
Black history is about science not…
If you can have that little to say on this what will a white person say?