Search

The article discusses two books, "Bought & Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery" by Kate Phillips and "The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775–1838" by Stephen Mullen, which explore Scotland's involvement in slavery and the slave trade. The author criticizes Phillips' book for its lack of original manuscript sources and superficial approach, pointing out errors and unsupported claims. Mullen's book is praised for its scholarly apparatus but criticized for not citing previous works, particularly a 1971 doctoral thesis by Tom Devine. The article emphasizes the importance of careful and rigorous research in contributing to the understanding of slavery and its legacies. [Extracted from the article]

"Unsilencing Slavery: Telling Truths About Rose Hall Plantation, Jamaica" by Celia E. Naylor is a critical examination of the public narrative surrounding Rose Hall Plantation in Jamaica. The book focuses on the lives of enslaved people at Rose Hall who have been largely silenced in the presentation tour at the heritage site. Naylor uses archival records and storytelling techniques to shed light on the experiences of enslaved women and children at Rose Hall, challenging the power dynamics that operate through the silencing of alternative narratives. The book offers insights that are relevant to other historic plantation museums and will appeal to Caribbean historians, anthropologists, gender studies specialists, and literary critics. [Extracted from the article]

"Scammer's Yard: The Crime of Black Repair in Jamaica" by Jovan Scott Lewis explores the Jamaican lottery scam, a form of advance-fee fraud that targets elderly, White, U.S.-based victims. The book provides detailed insights into the mechanics of the scam based on the author's research with three scammers. Lewis argues that the scam is a result of Jamaica's history of underdevelopment, economic marginalization, and the emergence of neoliberalism. He also examines the ethical and social implications of the scam, highlighting the scammers' perspective of it as a means of reparative justice. Overall, "Scammer's Yard" offers a thought-provoking analysis of the history of Black suffering in the Caribbean and its connection to contemporary debates on reparations. [Extracted from the article]