Heirs of Enslavement

This is the story of how two Heirs of Enslavement - Clive Lewis MP, a descendent of the enslaved, and Laura Trevelyan, of the enslaver - can come together to right the wrongs of the past.In this first episode, Clive and Laura travel to Grenada - the island of their shared history - to explore the past of their families with two special guests: Clive’s dad, Tony Lewis, and Laura’s close friend and historian, Nicole Phillip-Dowe. As they delve into how they both came to this issue, they’re asking why reparatory justice is a conversation now, how their involvement can help, and what the future could look like.Producer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.

In this final episode of Heirs of Enslavement, Clive Lewis and Laura Trevelyan are reflecting on everything they’ve learned, and asking, what will happen next? Will a British government face up to the case for reparations? And if not, what could happen instead?They speak to Financial Times columnist Stephen Bush, lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell about the outlook for an agreement between the Caribbean and the United Kingdom. Plus, they hear from businessman Denis O’Brien about some of the progress being made in the West Indies. Clive and Laura’s reading list:Britain’s Black Debt by Hilary McD. BecklesThe First Black Slave Society by Hilary McD. BecklesHow Britain Underdeveloped the Caribbean by Hilary McD. BecklesCapitalism and Slavery by Eric WilliamsJunior History of Grenada by Dr. Nicole Phillip-DoweThe Interesting Narrative and Other Writings by Olaudah EquianoEmpireland by Sathnam SangheraSlave Empire by Padraic. X. ScanlanUncommon Wealth by Kojo KoramLegacy of Violence by Caroline ElkinsParadise and Plantation by Ian Gregory StrachanBeyond a Boundary by C. L. JamesA to Z of Grenada Heritage by John Angus MartinAfrican Europeans by Olivette OteleA Short History of Slavery by James WalvinThe Case for Reparations (article in The Atlantic) by Ta-Nehisi CoatesProducer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.

The West Indies is looking to the UK government for reparations, so this week, Clive Lewis and Laura Trevelyan are heading back to London, to understand the link between the Caribbean and Britain. It’s time to revisit the history of the Windrush generation - the men and women who travelled to Britain for work and to help rebuild after World War Two. Clive talks to his dad about his experience, and Professor Olivette Otele explains how the treatment of the Windrush generation adds to the call for reparations. With that in mind, Laura and Clive are keen to know what the reparatory justice movement looks like in London. Clive’s Labour colleague Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, shares her insights. Producer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.

Clive Lewis and Laura Trevelyan have heard what Grenada and the Caribbean islands want reparatory justice to address, but now it’s time to find out whether any of those issues are moving forward. There’s one policy area that’s seeing more development than any other in terms of global support - and that’s climate resilience. In this episode, Laura and Clive hear about why the West Indies is at particular risk in a warmer world, and how a plan designed by Barbados could offer a solution that brings reparations and climate planning together.Producer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.

Clive Lewis and Laura Trevelyan have heard about the legacies left behind by enslavement in the Caribbean - but what do people in the West Indies actually want reparatory justice to address?In this episode, they hear about the specific needs of Grenada and beyond - illiteracy, poverty, healthcare and more. Clive and Laura visit the Grenada Community and Resource Library to see firsthand how important education resources are to the island. They speak to Arley Gill, chair of Grenada’s national reparations committee, and to Russell Fielden, a Brit-turned-Grenadian and local entrepreneur.Producer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.

Clive Lewis MP and Laura Trevelyan have a shared history of enslavement - one the descendent of the enslaved, the other a descendant of the enslaver. In this episode, they’re delving into the realities of plantation life that their ancestors lived and wrought, to understand the legacies it has left for the people of the Caribbean.They’ll speak to two historians - Professor Olivette Otele, and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles about how the enslaved were treated, and how this treatment was justified by Britain. And Clive and Laura get candid about the inherited trauma of slavery with drama and movement therapist, Varia Williams.Producer: Rosie StopherProduction support: Edwin FrankProduction Manager: Flick HeathOriginal music: Andre GreenidgeScore and artwork: Sena VerdiSound design: AiraphonThis is a Persephonica Production.