The Bahamas National Reparations Committee was relaunched on Friday with its chairperson Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean telling reporters she believes it is only a matter of time before the descendants of the Atlantic slave trade are given restitution.

“We believe that reparations will come and it’s just a matter of time,” Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean said at a press conference announcing the group’s relaunch days before the Emancipation Day holiday.

Some have suggested that countries like The Bahamas should not seek restitution considering the fact that Britain has been charitable to the region.

“Reparations is not charity,” Dean said in response to this argument. “Charity would be what you give after a natural disaster – we are appreciative of those charitable acts, but reparations is really about justice.

“It is the justice that is due for the crimes against – the United Nations designated crimes against humanity of slavery and the genocide of the native peoples of this land.”

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville, in his capacity as acting minister of foreign affairs, said on Friday the government supports the work of the group.

“The government of The Bahamas stands shoulder to shoulder with this distinguished committee and CARICOM Reparations Commission as they continue to engage our former colonial state on the historic, moral and legal case for reparations concerning crimes against humanity, stemming from genocide and slavery brought on by the transatlantic slave trade. And yes, we cannot forget climate justice,” Darville said.

”So, as we celebrate Emancipation Day, let us be mindful of this sobering part of our history, its impact [on] our country, and the long term effects it will [play] on sustainable development.”

The issue of reparations for slavery was discussed at the 34th CARICOM heads of government meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2013.

At that meeting, it was agreed that a regional CARICOM Reparations Commission and national reparations committees be created.

The Bahamas committee was formed in March 2014. At the time, it was led by Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears and former Bahamas High Commissioner to Canada Philip Smith.

Professor Chris Curry served as the committee’s chair from 2017-2018.

The committee will participate in two upcoming reparations events: a regional diaspora conference that will be held in Brazil and the Pan African Congress in Togo.