Leader of the Opposition Draws Parallel Between Slavery and Current Happenings of Leadership Intervention Unit

Also sharing his views on slavery and emancipation was the Leader of the opposition, Moses Shyne Barrow.  In a press conference this morning, Barrow drew a parallel of slavery and trauma to the current happenings in the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU).

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “And as we talk about the Leadership Intervention Unit and the gang warfare on the South Side, which is Ebo Town, that is the name of it. That is where they kept the Africans and the Creoles because they tried to divide the people and they gave them a status as you are Creole. You know, you are more British. That’s why they call it the Royal Kruffi, you’re not like them. They’re Africans, they’re slaves, you have British Royal lineage. And so when you see all that is still happening on the South Side, that is a direct result, continuing result consequence of slavery in this nation, of the failures of true emancipation. Yes there was a August 1st, 1833 legislation passed in the House of Commons and then implemented in 1834. Well, what happened? The people of Belize did not get any farmland, they did not get any cattle, they did not get a few pounds, not even a shilling. All they got was the opportunity or lack thereof to work for the same slave masters at menial wages that kept them indentured, enslaved in essence, economic slavery, still mental slavery, because our education system was not invested in in enough so that we can reverse the irreparable damage that slavery has done. So when you see what is happening on the South Side, those young men come from generations of people that learned their murderous ways of the slave master, the abhorrent ways, the heartless ways, the immoral ways, the ways that had no value for human life. While you may say “oh, that was 189 years ago.” Generations of that trauma, generations of that genetic experience where nothing has been done. Where are the reparations? All of our timber, all of our mahogany was extracted. The British economy boomed. What has Belize ever gotten? Independence is not a settlement payment for slavery.”

In countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Emancipation Day is a major national festival on August 1 of each year.  Meanwhile, in Antigua and Barbuda, a carnival is had on or around August 1 each year.