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Benedict Cumberbatch’s Family: Reparations For Barbados Slave Trade Involvement

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This is a difficult issue to grapple with, but it is vital to acknowledge Cumberbatch's family's role in this terrible history.

Benedict Cumberbatch is a world-renowned actor best known for his roles in “Sherlock Holmes” and “Doctor Strange.” Recently, however, Cumberbatch has been in the news for something else entirely: his family’s involvement in the Barbados slave trade.

Benedict Cumberbatch

For centuries, the Cumberbatch family owned a sugar plantation in Barbados that relied on slave labor. Benedict’s ancestors profited greatly from the exploitation of these workers, and today, the actor himself is believed to be worth over $40 million. 

The nation’s National Task Force on Reparations is now pursuing reparations from wealthy families that benefited financially from slavery. The British conservative MP Richard Drax and his family were the first to be singled out by officials, according to Insider, since they owned a sugar plantation.

Before slavery was outlawed in 1834, Abraham Cumberbatch, a member of Cumberbatch’s family, controlled the Cleland plantation in the late 1700s and was responsible for housing 250 enslaved people. In light of this, many have called on Cumberbatch to pay reparations to the descendants of the slaves his family once owned.

Cleland plantation 1

The government is in the early steps of pursuing reparations, according to Caricom Ambassador David Comissiong; however, it is not clear if the Cumberbatch family will be pursued. Families that don’t adhere to the reparation procedure will be subject to legal action.

The argument for reparations is simple, according to multiple people: Benedict Cumberbatch’s family benefited financially from the exploitation of slaves, and therefore, he should shoulder some of the responsibility for the suffering of these individuals.

Not only is this the morally right thing to do, but it would also be a way for Cumberbatch to acknowledge the privilege that he has enjoyed throughout his life.

Cleland plantation

On the other hand, critics of the idea of reparations argue that it is impossible to make up for the harms of slavery and that it is unfair to hold modern-day individuals responsible for the actions of their ancestors.

The Cumberbatch family is not alone in their involvement in the slave trade. Many other families also profited from this system, and they, too, owe reparations. However, the Cumberbatch family’s involvement is significant because Benedict is such a well-known and respected actor.

While it’s unclear if the actor himself will do anything to make amends for his ancestor’s role in the slave trade, it’s possible that he may make a donation to a relevant charity. The discussion of reparations for the descendants of slaves is a complicated and controversial one, but it’s clear that Cumberbatch’s family has a moral obligation to address their past.

Reactions to Benedict Cumberbatch's Family: Reparations For Barbados Slave Trade Involvement

People seeking reputations from Benedict Cumberbatch for his family’s part in the slave trade in Barbados and they’re people living RIGHT HERE that still benefit from the part their families played in slavery.

@wrecker891

Remember when he said in an interview his gran told him not to tell ppl ab his last name cuz his folks were slaveowners? LMAOOOO run the good ppl of Barbados that marvel money & everything u got Benedict!!

@galaxicsapphic

Good. Generational trauma from enslavement is real and so should be repaired by those who benefited from it.

@DrDadabhoy