Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (right), embraces Kate Thomas (second right), after Ms. Thomas and her sister, Aidee Walker (second left), apologised to the people of Jamaica for the involvement of their ancestors, the Clan Malcolm of Argyll, in slavery in Jamaica. (Contributed Photo)
New Zealand TV star Aidee Walker and her sibling Kate Thomas recently issued an apology in Jamaica for the role of their Scottish ancestors, Clan Malcolm of Argyll, in chattel slavery.
Five generations of the Malcolms profited from the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica during the 18th and 19th centuries. The sisters did not offer any financial reparations.
Instead, at the July 31st Emancipation Jubilee event in Saint Ann, they committed to taking “actions to repair injustices” and to “honor the memory” of their four-times great-grandmother Mary Johnson, a woman of African descent who was a housekeeper in the Malcolm family. However, the sisters did not mention that Mary was an enslaver who received £371 in 1835 (equivalent to approximately £40,000 today) when slavery ended in the British Empire through the 1833 Abolition Act.
Aidee and Kate are descendants of Neill Malcolm, a mixed-race émigré born in Hanover, Jamaica, in 1825. He arrived in New Zealand in 1851. Neill’s father, John Malcolm, born in Jamaica to a Scottish enslaver, oversaw the executions of 11 Black insurrectionists at his Argyle Estate in 1824. That same year, John Malcolm’s fourth child with Mary Johnson was born. Aidee Walker expressed her distress at knowing so little about Mary’s life circumstances.
The UCL Legacies of British Slavery website details Mary Johnson’s 1835 compensation award of £371 for the 15 enslaved people she owned. Another claim listed immediately before hers is by Mary Ann Malcolm, the daughter of Mary Johnson and John Malcolm, who was awarded £48 for two enslaved individuals.
Historian Christer Petley has noted that white slaveholders often developed close relationships with their non-white mistresses and children, who stood to gain from these connections. Mary Johnson’s circumstances reflect her status among the wealthiest of Jamaica’s free mixed-race individuals.
The sisters are working on a documentary about their experiences in Jamaica, which centers on their journey of apology while placing Jamaican history and culture in the backdrop.
Historian Sir Hilary Beckles has characterized the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans as genocide. The emphasis on the Argyle rebellion of 1824 appears to be a focal point in the sisters’ narrative. While highlighting enslaved individuals acting with agency is important, it should not overshadow the broader context of violence and oppression faced by enslaved individuals during the period when Aidee and Kate’s ancestors owned enslaved people.
Many unnamed individuals suffered under these conditions, including Clyde, a 47-year-old African-born man listed in John Malcolm’s slave records for 1829 as “sentenced to confinement for life in the Workhouse.”
The Argyle executions were court-ordered, complicating any claims for reparations from the descendants of the executed individuals. However, claims can be made regarding the enslavement of the more than 300 Africans forced to work on the Argyle estates for several decades.
Theologian Robert Beckford has commented that these “perpetrator reparations” from descendants are often perceived as neocolonial charity rather than genuine social justice initiatives.
Questions Raised by the Apology
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The omission by the sisters raises questions about the emerging focus on the reparations movement within the Caribbean among descendants of white enslavers, said Dr. Nicholas Radburn, a historian at Lancaster University. Especially as their apologies, including those from the group ‘Heirs of Slavery,’ do not directly address the issue of reparations, as noted by social justice campaigner Patrick Vernon.
The sisters took the spotlight at the annual Seville Emancipation Jubilee, where they pledged to honor an enslaver.
Reports indicate that the sisters are also working on a documentary about their experiences in Jamaica.
No financial reparations have been offered by the sisters, raising concerns about the appropriateness of their apology at a significant commemorative event for Jamaicans.
However, it is important to recognize that there are worse examples than those of enslaver descendants who, even if they get things wrong, are at least on a path to recognition. Much worse are the disavowers and deniers, such as former Tory MP Richard Drax, who repeatedly ignores calls to address his forebearers’ massive atrocity footprint in Barbados, which dates back to the 1650s.
Historical Context and Omitted Details
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The British Government 1835 slavery compensation claims. Source: National Archives T71/872
The sisters have expressed their desire for New Zealanders to reflect on how their country was colonized by Europeans who profited from the labor of enslaved Africans. This perspective is complicated by the fact that Neill Malcolm, their ancestor, was mixed-race and did not inherit significant wealth. His trustee reportedly lost much of his inheritance, leading Neill to move to New Zealand in hopes of recovering his losses.
Coleman Bazelon, a Brattle valuator, collaborates with Patrick Robinson and others on reparations valuations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery, estimating the reparations owed for the enslavement of Africans on the two Argyle estates at approximately $1.25 billion.
Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, has suggested the need for a “reset” on peace. This raises the question of whether the Caribbean reparations movement also requires a reevaluation, particularly concerning descendants of enslavers who apologize without addressing reparations directly.
Conclusion
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The apology by the sisters, while a significant step towards recognition, raises important questions about the nature of their acknowledgment and the lack of direct reparations. As the Caribbean reparations movement continues to evolve, it is crucial to consider the implications of apologies from descendants of enslavers and to reevaluate the role of these individuals in the legacy of slavery and its ongoing impacts.
FAQs
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Q: What did the sisters apologize for?
A: Aidee Walker and Kate Thomas apologized for the involvement of their Scottish ancestors, Clan Malcolm of Argyll, in chattel slavery in Jamaica.
Q: What did the sisters not apologize for?
A: The sisters did not offer any financial reparations and did not mention the fact that their four-times great-grandmother Mary Johnson was an enslaver who received compensation for the enslaved people she owned.
Q: What is the significance of the Argyle rebellion of 1824?
A: The emphasis on the Argyle rebellion appears to be a focal point in the sisters’ narrative, but it should not overshadow the broader context of violence and oppression faced by enslaved individuals during the period when their ancestors owned enslaved people.
Q: What is the estimated value of reparations owed for the enslavement of Africans on the two Argyle estates?
A: According to Coleman Bazelon, the reparations owed are approximately $1.25 billion.