The Bajan government, in collaboration with Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc., is inviting unemployed individuals seeking additional income to join the upcoming West Indian Sea Island cotton harvest. This initiative reportedly offers not only economic opportunities but a chance to engage with a crop deeply interwoven with Barbados’s complex history of slavery and global commerce.
A Facebook post from March 7 revealed that the account for the official government of Barbados put out the call to action.
“Unemployed persons or those looking to earn extra income are invited to participate in the upcoming cotton harvest at Hannay’s Plantation, Dayrells Hill, Christ Church.”
The harvest, scheduled at Hannay’s Plantation in Dayrells Hill, Christ Church, highlights the enduring prestige of West Indian Sea Island Cotton. Celebrated for its unparalleled quality, likened to silk and cashmere, this rare textile is both a symbol of luxury and a reminder of the island’s storied past. Interested participants are encouraged to contact Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc. for further details.
While the initiative promises economic benefits, it also compels a reckoning with Barbados’s fraught history of cotton production. Historically, the cultivation of cotton was inseparable from the exploitation of enslaved Africans, a system that began in Barbados in 1627 and persisted until the abolition of slavery in 1834. This legacy not only defined the island’s economy but also shaped global capitalism. Kevin Farmer, deputy director of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, underscored this point, noting that crops like sugar, rice, and cotton in the New World were built on the “blood, tears, and death” of millions of enslaved individuals.
Artifacts housed in the Barbados Museum, such as branding irons and iron shackles, serve as stark reminders of this harrowing past. Farmer asserts that Barbados has embraced its history, aiming to educate both residents and visitors through initiatives like a signage project in Bridgetown. This UNESCO World Heritage site will mark locations of historical significance tied to the island’s legacy of slavery.
Source: Barbados Cotton: The Government’s Labor Call Amid Slavery’s Lingering Threads
Recent Comments