Benedict Cumberbatch's family could face legal action over historical links to slavery

[illicitlove]

Benedict Cumberbatch's family could be forced to pay reparations to Barbados for running a slave plantation on the island in the 18th and 19th century.
When the plantation was forced to close his family were given £6,000 in compensation - in today's money that's £3.6million. pic.twitter.com/ZE0sy5DWyZ
- Lorraine King (@lorrainemking) December 31,

Comments

[varioussaints]

pride goeth before the fall

[ritaamber]

I dont understand this, does anyone know more.

Does the money go to direct decedents? Or to the government to use for empowerment programs. Or just to the government for fuck all. This is so interesting!!

[possiblewerf]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/26/barbados-tory-mp-pay-reparations-family-slave-richard-drax-caribbean-sugar-plantation

I was curious too and it doesn't really say. The money would go to the government but the task force for reparations doesn't have a site saying how it would be used or what their goals are (beyond the obvious)

[ty]

Thank you for finding this article. That tweet gave nothing.

[xdecadentx]

Yeah I was thinking, does this just go back to the government?

Forgive my ignorance but I assume tracking the descendants would be quite hard because of how records probably were back then?

[kittenmittons]

[yousaidlog]

2023 getting off to a great start

[devopet]

I think him being famous with the name means it'll be even more likely people get reparations vs all the other names that'll ignore it.

And honestly fuck his mom's advice, hiding this shit and pretending it isnt part of the history of probably most 'old' money people is just silly.

[ginainabottle]

Yeah, his mom's advice is so bizarre. I have a friend whose last name is the name of the ships who used to transport slaves and she doesn't use it bc she's ashamed, not bc people are gonna call her out for it.