Telegraph: Why didn’t the Sussexes talk about colonialism in Colombia?

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The British media’s coverage of the Sussexes’ Colombian tour was hilariously wacky. The salty British media could not pick a lane – in one article, they would blast the Sussexes for not getting enough attention in Colombia, and in the next article, they would blast the Sussexes for not using their enormous power and influence to speak on every single issue. Speaking of, let’s talk about colonialism. Spain and Portugal colonized much of South America, which is why Spanish and Portuguese is still spoken throughout most South American countries. Colombia was colonized by Spain, and the Spanish slave trade thrived in Colombia, which is why there are so many Colombians of African descent today. Colombians threw off their Spanish shackles in the 19th century. Notice that I did not mention the British empire or British colonialism whatsoever. And yet… the Telegraph ran a piece in which “people” demanded that Harry and Meghan “apologize for colonialism.”

When the Duke of Sussex steps into San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday, he will do so as both the son of a King and a man who left the British monarchy behind. He has decried the “unjust” system that saw “enslaved people” generate wealth for the crown, but around the world remains seen as a member of the Royal family.

The visit to a town founded by escaped slaves in the colonial era and now a symbol of their resistance is, in other words, complicated. The tourist destination is set to be a highlight of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ trip to Colombia, which has seen them hosted by a passionately anti-colonial vice-president who is leading calls for slavery reparations. For some, inevitably, it raises questions.

Will the couple use their day of learning about Afro-Colombian revolutionary history to touch on the obvious topics of slavery, colonialism, and Britain’s former role in it? Will the Duchess speak of her own family history, as she did in their last visit to Nigeria? And will Prince Harry fulfil the dreams of campaigners by outrightly condemning or apologising for the role of royals centuries ago? The visit, campaigners say, is the ideal chance for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to venture further than they ever have before in decrying the evils of the colonial slave trade, whether part of the Spanish Empire as it was in Colombia or the British elsewhere. They are, it is thought by some, “uniquely positioned” to move the conversation about reparations forward.

Laura Trevelyan, whose own family has made an apology and reparations for its historic role in the slave trade, said: “Because they’re not working royals, they have a bit of cover, but they are still hugely influential.

“Even by meeting Colombia’s vice-president, Harry and Meghan are signalling that they’re prepared to hear more about the debate over how to repair the lasting legacies of slavery. I hope they use their influential position to move the discussion forward.”

Arley Gill, chairman of Grenada’s National Reparations Commission, urged Prince Harry to use the opportunity to apologise and support “reparative justice”. “If he does that, he will be on the right side of history,” he said. “It would mean a whole lot.” After all, he joked, he was already “ostracised” from the Royal family and “can’t leave twice!”.

Any intervention by the Sussexes would be viewed as deeply provocative by their critics, adding to the pressure the UK Government and the palace is already facing from reparations campaigners.

[From The Telegraph]

Again, Harry and Meghan escaped the British royal family, not the Spanish royal family. While I would love to hear King Felipe and Queen Letizia speak on Spain’s colonialist history in South America, that was not the point of the Sussexes’ tour. Instead, it was something altogether different. Once we saw the Sussexes’ events in Colombia and saw the way VP Francia Marquez had arranged the trip, it became clear to me why Marquez wanted the Sussexes to come. Marquez is highlighting global Blackness, and she used Meghan’s presence, as a Black American woman, to show the connections for people of African descent. The visit was not about Harry’s connection to a colonialist family, it was about Meghan and using her race and her experiences to speak to the Black Colombian community.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

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  3. Telegraph: Why didn’t the Sussexes talk about colonialism in Colombia?

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