Sir Hilary Beckles launches book on black slave society

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles launched his book, “The First Black Slave Society, Britain’s “Barbarity Time” in Barbados, 1636-1876”, in the Walcott Warner Theatre at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination recently. 

 

The book is the first comprehensive treatment of black slavery in the New World colony, a study which examined issues such as Atlantic origins, early formation, maturity, collapse and restructuring.

 

UWI’s Acting Head of the History and Philosophy Department and Chair of the proceedings, Dr. Henderson Carter explained in his opening remarks that Sir Hilary was the first Barbadian to study the model slave society in the Golden Jubilee. “The text is therefore necessary to raise public consciousness about the historic basis for reparations in an atmosphere bedevilled by confusion and misinformation. This book in exposing the barbarity in Barbados offers Caribbean people a detailed examination of enslavement,” said Dr. Carter. 

 

The Chair also highlighted the fact that the book will be an excellent source material for those within the teaching community at secondary schools, some of these teachers were present for the launch of Sir Beckles’ new book. 

 

Sir Beckles, the author took to the stage to talk about his book by first explaining the difference between a “society with slaves” and a “slave society”. The professor said that a slave society is a formation where the entire economy is built on slavery and this is what Barbados represented. “Barbados becomes the first society in the New World where Africans are the majority…this makes it unique,” said Sir Beckles. 

 

It was explained in detail how the slave society model was transferred to other islands such as Jamaica and the American state of South Carolina. Sir Beckles explained that within a hundred years, the model was adopted 

almost everywhere. 

 

“The book is not really about Barbados so to speak. It is about how a model of making a fortune out of agriculture using African labour; how you can make it work and what you have to do to make it work,” said Sir Beckles. 

 

The book is separated into four sections - “Economics of the slave society”, “Exportation of the slave society”, “How the slave society matured and economics of the maturity” (which includes the role of women in the slave society, breeding domestic supply versus importing slaves), “Collapse of the System (shift from economics to culture) and the reconstruction of the two islands where Black slave society resist the colonial systems”.  

 

In concluding his presentation, Sir Beckles said that the book is dedicated to his granddaughter who shares his name and to future generations.