Grenada: Confronting my family's slave-owning past
By Laura Trevelyan
BBC News, Grenada
Published3 hours ago
Nicole Phillip-Dowe, DC Campbell and Laura Trevelyan explore a former slave plantation on Grenada
Nearly 200 years after her ancestors were given a large payout from the British government when slavery was abolished, our correspondent travels to Grenada to find out how this grim legacy continues to reverberate today.
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High up in the hills of the Caribbean island of Grenada, in the grounds of a former slave plantation, a cast iron bell hangs from a tree.
The ringing of the bell signified the start of another working day for West African slaves, harvesting sugar cane. Today, the Belmont estate is a popular destination for tourists. It's a place to enjoy the local cuisine and visit the gift shop, where you can buy artisanal chocolate bars embossed with the image of the slave bell.
It was here that I came face to face with the brutality of the past - and the role played by families like mine.
"This is the sound of slavery," said DC Campbell, a Grenadian novelist and descendent of slaves. He picked up a pair of shackles made for a child, turning them over in his hands.
More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61315877
