October 1, 2022 | By: Kamm Howard

I was extremely saddened to learn that the globally renowned artwork of the Benin culture had a horrific enslavement history. Since first viewing these works in the 1980’s as I was coming into “consciousness” about Africa, African history and my connection to our motherland, I saw the Benin sculptures as symbols of pride and creative mastery.

I have replicas in my home and some of the images adorn my clothing. So, when it was recently shared that there was another side of the artworks, I was disheartened but not shocked.

So How Do We Use This In Our Current Thrust For Repair?

What has been called the Transatlantic Slave trade was such a horrendous major episode in inhumanity, lasting over 400 years, that nothing about it shocks me anymore. So when learning about this new aspect of the “Benin Bronzes,” that they were made from melted down “currency” paid for captive Africans to be shipped to the Americas for enslavement, my reparationist spirit immediately kicked in. I asked myself,” so how do we use this in our current thrust for repair?”
I understand there are some who do not want to send all of the pieces back to their place of origin — because of their now immense financial value, it would be like paying an enslaver a 2nd time for its crimes. I know the current Kingdom of Benin government had nothing to do with the crimes of their predecessor government. However, when waging our struggle against Western governments, isn’t that their same argument? In which our response is there is no statute of limitation on crimes against humanity?
All of these nations and kingdoms are guilty until they engage in reparatory justice with the descendant victims of the crimes they committed. However, our end goal of reparatory justice looks different when dealing with Western governments than with the few small African kingdoms that were involved. For the West, our goal is to be made whole – using all means available under the international standards of full reparations to do so.- cessation and guarantees and assurances of non-repetition, restitution, compensation, satisfaction, and rehabilitation.

Our Reparatory Goal When Addressing African Nations Should Always Be Healing Of The African Family

Our reparatory goal when addressing African nations is and should always be healing of the African family. So, my support of this conversation about the Benin Bronzes is about reparatory justice in the form of healing of the global African spirit. This is part of our repair that western resources cannot produce. We, people of the African World, must do this ourselves.
In large part, it begins with seeing ourselves as one and engaging in conversations as one people. This oneness becomes clear when we rightfully characterize the “Transatlantic slave trade” as the “chatellization wars.” According to Prof Chinweizu, who gave us the concept of “internal reparations” – work that we have to do internally with our internal resources to repair and heal ourselves — the so-called Transatlantic Slave Trade was a European warring enterprise to chattelize Africa’s population abroad.

The So-called Transatlantic Slave Trade Was A European Warring Enterprise To Chattelize Africa’s Population Abroad

In having this conversation, we have to remember that there was tremendous loss and grief on the continent as the genocide that occurred there was devastating. That seems to be a “forgotten genocide.” Those wars left a deep scar on the spirit of those and their descendants that remained. The pain is on both sides of the Atlantic. It is a global African pain
The return of the Benin Bronzes gives us a unique global opportunity to intentionally begin this healing. And it is this reason why I supported a letter that called for a pause in the process. The pause allows us to feel and heal this pain as one people. Furthermore, this pain of our ancestors sold, shipped, and enslaved resides within all of our current dna expression. We all live with that hurt and pain. For African governments to ignore calls to have this discussion with us, ignores this reality and in many ways furthers the pain.
I could probably guess what my ancestor in the moment of their suffering would say about returning the Bronzes. Many people on this issue are speaking from that position – the crimes in the moment. However, we are not in that moment. We have the luxury of time and knowledge of the complexities of those inhumane enterprises. We know where the plans were made, (not on the Continent) who the enforcers of those plans were (those who manufactured and selectively distributed the canons and rifles), what coercive leverage, schemes and machinations they used to enforce those plans (threats of annihilation if a kingdom did not join in the warring and kidnapping schemes), and most of all, we know who the greatest beneficiaries of those warring actions were then and are today (European nations). We know where the riches lie and who holds them. We also know that no matter how much some may not desire unity, there is no power or healing for the African world without it.

Internal Reparations And Healing Must Be The Spirit, Guide And Outcome Of Our Conversational Efforts Regarding The Benin Bronzes.

Internal reparations and healing must be the spirit of our efforts to begin this conversation; internal reparations and healing must guide our efforts while having this conversation; and internal reparations and healing must be the outcome of our efforts as a result of having this conversation.
It is this approach to the return of the Benin Bronzes that I fully support. Nigeria, lets have this conversation.