Money from Slave Trade built the Catholic Church, Barclays Bank – Kwesi Pratt

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Kwesi Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr, a renowned Ghanaian broadcaster and Pan-Africanist, has said the Catholic Church and Barclays Bank institutions were built on the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

According to the Veteran Journalist, Africans are entitled to part of the wealth of institutions like Barclays Bank and the Catholic Church, due to the historical context of how such wealth was generated.

Kwesi Pratt highlighted that the money that established Barclays Bank is slave trading money, and the wealth of the Catholic Church also came from Africans.

Speaking during an interview with Kafui Dey, Kwesi Pratt explained, “If you look at the World today, the richest institutions are the most resourceful institutions. Ask how they came to accumulate that wealth, and it came through exploitation, the transatlantic slave trade.

You take an institution like the Catholic Church. Where does its wealth come from? The wealth of the Catholic Church comes from the fact that it was a partner to Portugal in the adventurism that eventually led to the transatlantic slave trade.

“Indeed, the justification for slavery and colonialism was provided in the papal bull of 1452, signed by the Pope, authorising King Alfonso of Portugal to go around the world ‘civilising’ people. That is where the justification comes from. This led to the establishment of institutions that denigrated our science, destroyed our science, and devalued our spirituality. There are many things we need to research,” he said.

Kwesi Pratt further added, “Fast forward, this big bank, Barclays Bank. When you hear of Barclays Bank, it was established by the Barclays brothers, who were slave traders. The money that established Barclays Bank came from the slave trade. Are we not entitled to it? We are entitled to it. The Catholic Church is one of the biggest and richest spiritual institutions in the world. Where did that wealth come from?

“We are entitled to that wealth. Just imagine that 12.6 million Africans ended up on plantations as beasts of burden and worked for hundreds of years without pay. Compute that,” he added.

In related news, South London MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has boldly declared that a vote against Ghana’s slavery motion would be a betrayal of every life consumed by enslavement and colonialism.

According to MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, given Britain’s central role in this crime, a vote against would be a betrayal of every life consumed by slavery.

Speaking during the proceedings in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Bell Ribeiro-Addy stated, “The Ghanaian government’s resolution, declaring the transatlantic slave trade a crime against humanity, backed by the African Union, CARICOM, and a growing global coalition, will be debated. Given our nation’s central role in the trafficking and enslavement of African peoples, a vote against would be a betrayal of every life it consumed”.

“This House has never debated this. How can we be certain that our UN vote reflects the will of this Parliament and, more importantly, the will of this country? Madam Deputy Speaker, how can we ensure decisions of this magnitude, taken in our name, receive the democratic consideration they deserve before a vote is cast?” she said.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama, at the United Nations Headquarters on March 24, delivered a powerful speech on slavery.  

Ghana’s President Mahama boldly declared at the United Nations event on slavery that there was no such thing as a slave.

Mahama boldly highlighted that the transatlantic slave trade involved human beings who were trafficked, adding that it was designed to deny Africans their humanity.

According to President John Mahama, the global community needs to shift in how the history of slavery is understood, adding that slavery must be recognised as a crime against humanity while restoring the dignity of those affected.

Mahama stressed that the historical framing of slavery must be reconsidered, beginning with the language used to describe it.

Watch the video below: