A Senior journalist and political commentator Kwesi Pratt Jnr has ignited calls for historical accountability, arguing that the wealth of major global institutions—including the Catholic Church and Barclays—is deeply rooted in the exploitation of Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
In remarks that have stirred public debate, Mr. Pratt pointed to the Catholic Church’s historical role in European expansion, referencing the Papal Bull of 1452 as a key document that provided religious justification for slavery and colonization. He argued that such endorsements enabled the large-scale extraction of African labor and resources, while also contributing to the erosion of indigenous knowledge systems and spiritual traditions.
Pratt also turned attention to the origins of Barclays, stating that the bank’s early foundations were tied to individuals involved in the slave trade. According to him, this history underscores how financial institutions benefited from centuries of unpaid African labor, helping to build enduring economic power in the West.
Highlighting the scale of the injustice, Pratt cited estimates that millions of Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic and made to work under brutal conditions without compensation. He contended that this exploitation significantly contributed to the economic development of Europe and other capitalist economies.
Against this backdrop, Pratt questioned ongoing calls for African nations to replicate Western development models. He argued that such comparisons ignore the historical advantages gained through slavery and colonialism, making those paths neither fair nor realistically attainable.
He concluded by reiterating the need for accountability and renewed discussion around reparations, insisting that the descendants of enslaved Africans have a legitimate claim to a share of the wealth generated from their ancestors’ labor.
Source: ghanaviews.com
