HistoryExtra podcast Britain and the Caribbean: from slavery to Black Lives Matter
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Aug 24, 2025 Imaobong Umoren, an Associate Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and author of *Empire Without End*, discusses Britain's intricate history with the Caribbean. She emphasizes the importance of understanding colonialism and racism not just during slavery but from the 16th century to today. The conversation links past injustices to present movements like Black Lives Matter. Umoren highlights Caribbean resilience post-World Wars and the unrecognized contributions of enslaved women and activists in the fight against racial hierarchies.
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Economics Drove Race-Based Slavery
- Umoren traces how labour needs transformed indentured systems into race-based chattel slavery, legally codified by measures like the 1660 Barbados Slave Code.
- Those policies institutionalised anti-Black racism and underpinned later inequalities.
Abolition's Aftermath Was Complex
- The abolition narrative is often overly celebratory and centres white abolitionists while downplaying enslaved people's resistance and compensation to slaveowners.
- After abolition, racism intensified and new coerced labour systems like indentureship emerged.
Racial Caste Hierarchy Explains Power
- The 'racial caste hierarchy' describes a pyramid with enslaved people at the bottom and white elites at the top, shaped by race, class, gender and religion.
- Umoren shows this hierarchy migrated to Britain and adapted over time, underpinning anti-Black racism there.
