Jamaica Has a Reparations Ask of King Charles

Jamaica is planning a first-of-its-kind appeal directly to King Charles over slavery reparations. Culture Minister Olivia Grange told Parliament on Tuesday that a delegation will travel to the UK on Sept. 6 to deliver a petition asking the king, in his role as Jamaica's head of state, to seek legal advice from the Privy Council on whether Britain's role in the slave trade was lawful, amounted to a crime against humanity, and requires compensation. The council is defined by the Guardian as "the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries."

The date is a significant one, marking the day in 1781 that the voyage of the Zong slave ship from West Africa to Jamaica began. During the journey, more than 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard so owners could collect insurance for lost cargo.