THE Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) has officially launched its £7-million reparatory-justice programme in Barbados to atone for its “disgraceful links to the slave trade” in the Caribbean.
“Renewal & Reconciliation: The Codrington Reparations Project” was established one year ago in partnership with the Codrington Trust and the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI), in Barbados. At the time, USPG pledged £7 million to be spent in the country over the next ten to 15 years to address the wrongs of the past (News, 15 September 2023).
In 1710, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, one of the missionary societies that later merged to form USPG, received a bequest from Sir Christopher Codrington that comprised two plantations in Barbados. Between 1710 and 1838, SPG benefited from funds raised by the labour of enslaved people on the Codrington Estate.
At a launch event at Codrington College on Saturday, Kevin Farmer, the executive secretary of the Codrington Trust who leads the project’s executive group, introduced five “project pillars” of work on which the USPG funding will be spent.
These are: to conduct research to locate the burial and habitation places of enslaved persons who worked on the two Codrington estates throughout its history; “academic work to record and present the full story of the estates”; work to improve the circumstances and standards of qualified tenants; work to “fuel the spirit of self-reliance, enterprise, and entrepreneurship among residents”; and work to “nurture a culture of theological enquiry and ministerial formation within Codrington College”.
Bishop of Manchester/XA large cross is assembled on the shores of the island to mark where slave ships disembarked
Last week, the 11 members of a new steering committee were announced. Led by the Archbishop of CPWI and Bishop of Jamaica, the Most Revd Dr Gregory Howard, they are to provide guidance for the operation of the project.
The general secretary and CEO of USPG, the Revd Dr Duncan Dormor, said of the group: “I am profoundly grateful to all the members of our steering committee for the gifts of their time, expertise, and commitment to this project. I am especially grateful to our independent members — Sir Hilary Beckles, Dr Annalee Babb, and Dr Deborah Mack — and look forward to their wisdom, insights, and challenge as we embark on this important journey.”
Other members include residents, specialist historians and theologians, and the chair of USPG, the Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, who was present at a launch event in Barbados on Saturday.
Posting a picture of a large cross made from driftwood which had been assembled on the shores of the island, Dr Walker wrote: “This cross marks where slave ships disembarked on Barbados. Today we are commemorating those who died in the crossing and those who arrived to a future as enslaved plantation workers.”
He described it as “a beautiful bay with a terrible history”.
The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, who was also present, said that it had been “humbling to be part of the events in Barbados commemorating those who died in the crossing and those who arrived to a future as enslaved plantation workers”.
An update on the USPG website on Sunday said that planning work had started on the first pillar, which would be carried out over the next 12 months with £190,000 of the funding. “It will document the findings and establish monuments to memorialise those persons, connect kinship and family groups, and recognise those areas as sacred spaces.”
A dedicated family research centre for the descendants of those enslaved would be built at Codrington to trace their ancestry. “There will also be training for a new generation of Caribbean archaeologists and researchers who can contribute to Barbados’ cultural heritage sector.”
A research network of academic institutions would be established for the second pillar “to assess the volume, structure, and nature of historical research required for the project. Some preliminary foundational research will be commissioned and undertaken.”
A research symposium is to be held each year, starting in October 2025, to collate and review research into the subject areas of history, archaeology, theology, and reparatory justice. These costs would be met through external funding.
A funding proposal for “several academic scholarships at the MA and/or Ph.D. level for Barbadian and Caribbean students” would also be established to develop this research.
So far, two project managers have been appointed, based in Barbados and the UK, as well as a community field officer who will serve as the liaison between Codrington estate tenants and the Codrington Trust; surveys for two of the five tenantries have been completed in collaboration with the Barbadian government; and connections have been established with key archives, including those of Lambeth Palace Library, Kew Garden Archive, and Bodium.