THE Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners within the Gospel) has officially launched its £7-million reparatory-justice programme in Barbados to atone for its “disgraceful links to the slave trade” within the Caribbean.
“Renewal & Reconciliation: The Codrington Reparations Project” was established one 12 months ago in partnership with the Codrington Trust and the Church within the Province of the West Indies (CPWI), in Barbados. At the time, USPG pledged £7 million to be spent within the country over the following ten to fifteen years to handle the wrongs of the past (News, 15 September 2023).
In 1710, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG’s former name) 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 chief secretary of the Codrington Trust who leads the project’s executive group, introduced five “project pillars” of labor on which the USPG funding will probably be spent.
These are: to conduct research to locate the burial and habitation places of enslaved individuals who worked on the 2 Codrington estates throughout its history; “academic work to record and present the complete story of the estates”; work to enhance the circumstances and standards of qualified tenants; work to “fuel the spirit of self-reliance, enterprise, and entrepreneurship amongst residents”; and work to “nurture a culture of theological enquiry and ministerial formation inside Codrington College”.
Bishop of Manchester/XA big cross is assembled on the shores of the island to mark where slave ships disembarked
Last week, the 11 members of a latest steering committee were announced. Led by the Archbishop of CPWI and Bishop of Jamaica, the Most Revd Dr Gregory Howard, they’re to offer guidance for the operation of the project.
The general secretary and CEO of USPG, the Revd Dr Duncan Dormor, said of the group: “I’m profoundly grateful to all of the members of our steering committee for the gifts of their time, expertise, and commitment to this project. I’m especially grateful to our independent members — Sir Hilary Beckles, Dr Annalee Babb, and Dr Deborah Mack — and stay up for their wisdom, insights, and challenge as we embark on this essential 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 an image of a big cross constituted of 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’re commemorating those that died within the crossing and those that arrived to a future as enslaved plantation staff.”
He described it as “a gorgeous 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 a part of the events in Barbados commemorating those that died within the crossing and those that arrived to a future as enslaved plantation staff”.
An update on the USPG website on Sunday said that planning work had began on the primary pillar, which can be carried out over the following 12 months with £190,000 of the funding. “It will document the findings and establish monuments to memorialise those individuals, connect kinship and family groups, and recognise those areas as sacred spaces.”
A dedicated family research centre for the descendants of those enslaved can be built at Codrington to trace their ancestry. “There will even be training for a latest generation of Caribbean archaeologists and researchers who can contribute to Barbados’ cultural heritage sector.”
A research network of educational institutions can be established for the second pillar “to evaluate the quantity, structure, and nature of historical research required for the project. Some preliminary foundational research will probably be commissioned and undertaken.”
A research symposium is to be held every year, starting in October 2025, to collate and review research into the topic areas of history, archaeology, theology, and reparatory justice. These costs can be met through external funding.
A funding proposal for “several academic scholarships on the MA and/or Ph.D. level for Barbadian and Caribbean students” would even be established to develop this research.
So far, two project managers have been appointed, based in Barbados and the UK, in addition to a community field officer who will serve because the liaison between Codrington estate tenants and the Codrington Trust; surveys for 2 of the five tenantries have been accomplished 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.
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