Associate Professor of Africana Studies Nigel Westmaas presented a paper on “Reparations and Reconciliation: Exploring the Significance of Apology and Restitution for slavery in Guyana” at the “Black Perspectives” conference at the University of Virginia in March.
The paper emphasized the importance of apologies and restitution for slavery’s injustices, charting slavery’s evolution under Dutch and later British rule until 1838, including economic exploitation and the resistance as exemplified by the 1823 Demerara rebellion. It discussed post-emancipation issues like racial prejudice, advocating for reparations through dialogue, education, and reforms to address slavery’s lasting effects and support reconciliation and active justice for African Guyanese.