“These people urinate on us and some of us called it sugar,” is the strong statement from The
Hon. Trevor Prescod MP, Special Envoy on Reparation and Economic Enfranchisement during
the feature remarks at the recently held lecture Don’t Urinate On Me and Call It Rain. What is
Emancipation Without Reparation?
The lecture was held at the Golden Square Freedom Park in Bridgetown and one can describe it
as educative and enlightening based on the rapt attention of the audience and the comprehensive
delivery of the information presented.
Prescod stood in his conviction when he said, any Pan-Africanist that say sugar made us free, is a
Pan-Africanist madman. The evils and atrocities that came along concomitantly with sugar, some
of the most felonious crimes on the face of the earth to sustain that industry called sugar that led
to super capitalism. That led to the inferior role that all of us are expected to play in society.”
“Where some persons believe it is our lot and we don’t have anything to worry about.”
Prescod said to the attentive audience as he beseeched Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight
support as he said, “I believes to consume some solids we should be able to consume some
wisdom and I believe at regular intervals the people of Barbados should be able to come to
Golden Square Freedom Park to gain some insight and knowledge. Not only to listen to us speak
from the podium but also to speak with us, voice their views. Make Golden Square Freedom
Park a university where we can hold public lectures there to share ideas with the people of
Barbados.”
Key Speaker, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Attorney-At-Law and Professor Terry Morris started
off by saying he was proud to be back in the Republic of Barbados.
He re-emphasized earlier points made by Prescod but took it a step fu rther as he delved into the
rich and deep history of our forefathers, our struggles and fight for freedom, from the plantation
days to emancipation and to present day.
As he presented his knowledge and insight, Morris said, “We are an African people. Let us talk
about the so-called emancipation we thought we received August 1 st , 1838.
He said, “Don’t urinate on me and call it rain. In essence we have been here from 1627 to 1838,
so called emancipation, 211 of chattel slavery. Then from 1838 to 1966, 128 years of quasi
slavery, 339 years of quasi slavery, then from 1966 when we got independence to 2022.
Morris homed in his point when he asked how do you compare 339 years to 56 years? All the
trauma, psychological slavery, you can’t wipe it out. Not in 56 years. Don’t urinate on me and
call it rain.
He re-emphasized to those in attendance, you are the people strength are made of, the black man
of this world. He quoted Frederick Douglas saying black man if there is no struggle there can be

no progress those who profess the faith of freedom. A struggle must be a moral one or a physical
one but it must be a struggle. Power can cease nothing without a demand it never has, and it
never will. We may not get all we pray for in this world, but we must surely pay for all we get.
We will win this black man.”
In ending Morris sent his point home as he stated, “You think this is a fight, you aint go through
slavery. This generation’s fight is reparations. I am optimistic we will this fight for reparations.
We are an African people robbed of our names, our language,, our culture our values, our
manhood, our womanhood, and the way some of us act even our minds but we shall rise never to
fall again.”