A historic petition calling for reparations for the legacy of slavery is set to be delivered to King Charles III by Jamaican representatives, according to the country's culture minister, Olivia Grange. The petition will be presented to the monarch, who is the head of state for Jamaica, on Monday. Grange, who traveled to London with members of Jamaica’s National Council on Reparations, explained that the petition seeks to address historical injustices that continue to disadvantage former British colonies. It asks the king to use his authority to request legal advice from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth nations. The petition seeks to determine whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful, whether it constituted a crime against humanity, and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide restitution for the effects of slavery. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, more than 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, transported to the Americas, and sold into slavery. Grange noted that Jamaica was the first Caribbean nation to establish a national reparations mechanism in 2009. The initiative aims to address the long-term effects of slavery, which she said have left countries like Jamaica at a significant economic disadvantage and have hindered their ability to tackle modern challenges such as the climate crisis. Grange added that the legacy of slavery continues to affect areas such as education, health, and diet in Jamaica. Ralph Gonsalves, a former prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a key figure in establishing the Caribbean Community Reparations Commission, supported Grange’s efforts. He emphasized that the present is deeply connected to the past, with the legacies of underdevelopment rooted in the genocide and enslavement of African people. He noted that European nations benefited greatly from the exploitation of African labor. Gonsalves, who is also an elder and adviser for the Repair Campaign, a movement advocating for reparatory justice, said that Jamaica's visit to the UK is a significant step in a series of upcoming events, including a Caribbean reparations conference in Barbados, advocacy at the UN General Assembly, and a Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua, which King Charles is expected to attend. There is a growing international movement calling on countries like Britain and other former colonial powers to acknowledge the transatlantic slave trade as a crime and to pursue reparatory justice. In March, 123 nations voted in favor of a landmark UN resolution that classified chattel slavery as the gravest crime against humanity. In June, the Caribbean launched a manifesto outlining the moral, ethical, and legal case for reparations. Recently, a UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination stated that countries are legally required to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and to take measures to address the ongoing effects of racial discrimination. The UK was among several European countries that abstained from voting on the March resolution, and in October 2024, former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resisted calls to include reparations in the Commonwealth heads of government meeting agenda. Grange expressed hope that the visit would encourage a unified approach to the complex history of slavery and its ongoing impacts. On Sunday, the delegation will host a remembrance church service in Brixton and later meet with UK members of parliament. They also plan to visit the British Museum to discuss the repatriation of Jamaican artifacts. Grange said, “We may have different histories, different heritages, and different skin colors, but it’s about humanity. It’s about being able to live together, work together, and respect each other. In our efforts to seek reparatory justice, we will also promote what Jamaica is known for, One Love, because we have the song of the century through Bob Marley.”