Sir Lenny Henry has advocated for reparations to be paid to all Black British citizens,
In his contribution to a new book, “The Big Payback,” the comedian champions the UK government providing £18 trillion in compensatory payments.
Sir Lenny asserts in the book: “All Black British people… need reparations for slavery,” adding that “we personally deserve money for the effects of slavery.”
Reparations encompass measures aimed at rectifying past injustices, ranging from financial restitution to symbolic gestures.
Last year, a communique signed by 56 Commonwealth leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, acknowledged calls for “discussions on reparatory justice” concerning the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade.
However, Sir Keir clarified that monetary compensation was not discussed at the meeting, reiterating the UK’s stance against paying reparations.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated that reparations for former colonial nations affected by slavery should not be solely focused on financial transfers.
In 2023, a UN judge suggested that the UK potentially owes over £18 trillion in reparations for its historical involvement in slavery.
Reparatory justice can also include formal apologies, educational initiatives, and public health support.
Speaking to the Guardian last month, Marcus Ryder, co-author of Sir Lenny’s book, said that if Britain starts making reparations, “it would change the relationship and the dynamic it has with Africa, with India, the Caribbean, with lots of different emerging world powers.”
He continued: “It will benefit trade and the British economy if we have better relationships with all these countries.”
Their new book declares that reparation payments can and should help with “ridding the world of racism”.
Speaking to the Guardian alongside Ryder, Sir Lenny added: “These things take time. Look how long it took to abolish slavery. Look how long it took to pay for slave owners’ loss of work and earnings.
“This is to try and push the dial so that the conversation begins that might lead to something, and that might take, very optimistically, another 100 years, another 150 years. We start the conversation so we can get on with it.”
The book highlights disparities, stating that Black British individuals are “twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts” and “grossly over-represented in the prison population,” attributing these issues to “the transatlantic slave trade.”
The UK’s involvement in slavery dates back to before Roman times, but its significant participation in the transatlantic slave trade, involving the transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas, began around the 16th century.
While slavery was ultimately abolished, it was done so in stages. Full emancipation for enslaved people in the British Empire, with some exceptions like the East India Company, was granted by the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
Sir Lenny Henry, born in Birmingham in 1958, is the son of Jamaican immigrants to the UK.
The comedian and actor, a co-founder of Comic Relief in 1985, received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 for his contributions to drama and charity.
In 2021, he co-curated a Guardian special titled “Black British culture matters” alongside Marcus Ryder.
He subsequently wrote “Three Little Birds,” a six-part drama series inspired by his mother’s experiences as part of the Windrush generation. The series, co-written with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, aired on ITV in 2023.
The actor and comedian makes a Secret Sussex programme in tribute to the African-American pioneer.
The Friends of Zion Graveyard are holding open days, talks and guided tours around the cemetery.
The monument was previously vandalised with the words “slave trader” back in 2020.
President Donald Trump has called for a review of Smithsonian museums, saying they focus too much on “how bad Slavery was”.
A commemoration will take place at Wilberforce House in Hull on Saturday.