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Understanding Reparations and Caribbean Justice with Brian Royce, Campaign Manager for The Repair Campaign

Hema is joined by Brian Royes, Campaign Manager for The Repair Campaign, an organization that amplifies for the call for former colonial powers to acknowledge their role in the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans.

They delve into CARICOM's 10-point plan for reparations and reparatory justice, emphasizing the importance of an apology and accountability from those who benefitted from chattel slavery, the long-term socioeconomic and cultural impacts still being felt today, and the critical role of education on the topic. Brian passionately shares the necessity for reparations to foster true development and equity in the Caribbean. 

The Repair Campaign is an advocacy organisation supporting the Caribbean's reparatory justice movement guided by CARICOM's Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice. We call on the UK and other European governments, institutions and individuals who perpetrated and benefited from chattel slavery and its legacy to apologise for these atrocities and commit to repair. We ask all who stand with this call to show their support by signing in solidarity at repaircampaign.org/sign. 

Instagram 

Facebook 

TikTok 

Connect with Brian

Instagram 

YouTube 

Resources

CARICOM Reparations Commission 

CARICOM 10 Point Plan for Reparatory Justice 

Mapping the Legacy of Slavery in London’s Docklands 

Heirs of Slavery 

William Gladstone’s Family apologises for role in slave trade  

Olaudah Equiano: Writer & Abolitionist

Episodes referenced

Slave Voyages: Documenting the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade with Dr. Gregory O’Malley and Dr. Nafees M. Khan 

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The Indo-Caribbean Canadian Experience with Ryan Singh

In the last full episode of 2025, Hema is joined by Ryan Singh, the Founder of the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association (ICCA). They explore the nuances of Indo-Caribbean identity, the impact of colonial history, and the struggle for cultural recognition in Canada. 

Ryan shares the origin story and mission of ICCA, various community programs such as youth mentorship, support for single parents, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, plus the Share Yuh Rice initiative that brought the Association to Hema’s attention. Share Yuh Rice aims to provide culturally appropriate food to food banks at Christmas and throughout the year.

Ryan talks about one of their big initiatives being led by the ICCA with participation from Caribbean organizations around the country: the petition for establishing a Caribbean Heritage Month in Canada, emphasizing the importance of cultural preservation, community engagement, and the intergenerational evolution of Indo-Caribbean traditions.

Links & Resources

• Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association 
• Donate to the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association  
• Caribbean Heritage Month in Canada 
• Barbados House Montreal 

Episodes referenced:

Two Times Removed with Tiara Jade Chutkhan 

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Caribbean Christmas Traditions and an Anansi story with Kesha Christie

In the final Caribbean folklore episode of 2025, Kesha shares some traditions and unique ways different Caribbean nations celebrate at Christmas, including bamboo bursting and Junkanoo, plus some of the favourite food & drink made at the end of the year. Of course, an episode with Kesha is not complete without a folktale and this time it’s Anansi and Sorrel.

Listen to more Caribbean folklore episodes

Exploring Caribbean Folklore with Kesha Christie
Trickster Tales
Anansi's Antics in Antigua & Barbuda
The Power of Pataki Stories in Cuba
A Lizard's Lesson
Making a Deal with Death
The Lady and Her Three Sons

Connect with Kesha

To learn more about Kesha and her work, visit http://www.talkintales.ca
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Walk Good podcast

Children’s Book: Mama Keeya’s Garden

Recipes from past guests

Teri’s Food Therapy Vodka Sorrel Fizz 

Teri’s Food Therapy Brown Sugar Glazed Ham 

3 Caribbean Recipes from Belly Full by Lesley Enston 

Recipes by Keshia Sakarah on YouTube 

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Exploring the Untold Stories of Chinese-Caribbean Heritage 

In this episode, storyteller and frequent guest Kesha Christie dives into the often-overlooked Chinese-Caribbean heritage, exploring folktales and oral histories that highlight the rich cultural fusion in the Caribbean. 

Kesha talks about her research journey uncovering the often untold Chinese-Caribbean stories from Trinidad, Guyana, and Jamaica. The folktale 'The Lantern in the Cane Field,' brings in recognizable Chinese symbols like the dragon and lantern into Caribbean setting.

Resources

Event: Surfacing - Chinese Caribbean Intellectual Thought and Creative Practice https://sites.google.com/view/surfacing-2025 organized by the Chinese Caribbean Studies Network

What is Hakka Chinese? https://caribbeanchinese.ca/Hakka-Chinese 

Listen to more Caribbean folklore episodes

Exploring Caribbean Folklore with Kesha Christie
Trickster Tales
Anansi's Antics in Antigua & Barbuda
The Power of Pataki Stories in Cuba
A Lizard's Lesson
Making a Deal with Death
The Lady and Her Three Sons

Connect with Kesha

To learn more about Kesha and her work, visit http://www.talkintales.ca
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Walk Good podcast

Support the show

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Caribbean Cuisine with Lesley Enston, author of Belly Full: Exploring Caribbean Cuisine Through 11 Fundamental Ingredients and Over 100 Recipes [A Cookbook]

Join Hema and Lesley as they talk about Caribbean cuisine and history through the lens of Lesley's debut cookbook Belly Full, where she delves into Caribbean food through 11 fundamental ingredients.

In this episode, Lesley shares her personal background and family stories, some of her favourite dishes, and her views on Caribbean cuisine.

She describes the cultural melting pot that is Caribbean food as the world's first fusion cuisine, and highlights the importance of documenting traditional recipes and preserving culinary heritage while embracing adaptation and innovation. 

Lesley also talks about the diverse influences on Caribbean cuisine, her process of writing the cookbook, and the nuances of different island dishes. 

Connect with Lesley on Instagram

Find her book: Belly Full: Exploring Caribbean Cuisine Through 11 Fundamental Ingredients and Over 100 Recipes [A Cookbook]

Lesley Enston, Contributor Bon Appétit

BEM Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY

Episodes referenced: Caribbean Culinary History with Keshia Sakarah

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Exploring Bahamian History: From Indigenous Roots to Modern Identity

In this episode, Hema and Sasha Wells, a PhD student in Caribbean History at Florida International University, delve into the rich history of The Bahamas. The discussion spans multiple eras, from the indigenous Lucayan people, the effects of European colonization, the cultural and racial dynamics influenced by loyalist migration, and the eventual road to independence from the British Crown in 1973. 

Sasha highlights the ongoing social and cultural challenges, including the remnants of colonialism and the importance of preserving Bahamian history through both academic and public history projects. The episode provides a comprehensive look at how historical events have shaped Bahamian culture and identity.

Connect with Sasha
Instagram + Tiktok

Resources

Untold Stories of the Atlantic World

Runaways - Open Access Primary Source Dataset (prototype) 

What to Know About the History of Junkanoo, One of the Caribbean's Biggest Holiday Celebrations - Made By History, Time Magazine

Episodes referenced

Slave Voyages with Dr. Gregory O'Malley and Dr. Nafees M. Khan

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We’re back with another Caribbean folktale, told by Kesha Christie.

In this episode, Kesha shares an Indo-Caribbean folktale from Trinidad titled 'Kadoo Ki Beti' or 'The Pumpkin Daughter.' The story, which dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, revolves around Mama Savitri, an old woman who desperately wishes for a child. Through prayers and a magical pumpkin, her wish is partially granted. This folktale has themes of spirituality, cultural cues, and community. 

Hema and Kesha discuss the importance of preserving these oral traditions and  nuanced differences between Indo-Caribbean and Indian cultures. 

Listen to more Caribbean folklore episodes

Exploring Caribbean Folklore with Kesha Christie
Trickster Tales
Anansi's Antics in Antigua & Barbuda
The Power of Pataki Stories in Cuba
A Lizard's Lesson
Making a Deal with Death
The Lady and Her Three Sons

Episodes referenced

Exploring Caribbean Folklore with Kesha Christie
Caribbean Food History with Dr. Candice Goucher
The Irish-Caribbean Connection with Dr. Ellen Howley

References

Dr. Amina Blackwood-Meeks

Connect with Kesha

To learn more about Kesha and her work, visit http://www.talkintales.ca
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Walk Good podcast

Support the show

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Guyanese Culinary Traditions 

From Guyana’s six peoples to the impact of Guyana’s new wealth, and the national dish of pepperpot, Hema and Dr. Geoffrey Giddings discuss the ever-evolving foodways in Guyana. 

Geoffrey, an expert in African American studies and a passionate advocate for Guyanese food culture, delves into the rich history of Guyana, known as the land of six peoples, highlighting the culinary influences from Indigenous, European, African, Indian, Portuguese, and Chinese heritages. He shares personal stories from his early years growing up with his grandmother in Guyana, moving to New York, and his time spent amongst the Imbotero in the Barima-Waini region during his Fulbright research. 

Articles by Dr. Giddings

Food in the “Great Land of Guyana” - Stabroek News
Time to Forge a National Cuisine - Stabroek News
Guyanese Cuisine Culture - Stabroek News
What’s really cooking in Guyana? - Stabroek News

Resources

History of Pepperpot
Dictionary of Caribbean English - Richard Allsopp

More episodes
Exploring Guyana’s Historical Roots with Melissa Goolsarran Ramnauth
WestIndianDiplomacy.com: An interview with Melissa, West Indian historian

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The History of Guyana with Melissa, West Indian Diplomacy

Melissa Goolcharran Ramnauth, Editor-in-Chief of West Indian Diplomacy, shares her knowledge of the history of Guyana on this episode of the podcast. 

From the early Indigenous peoples to the colonial power struggles between the Dutch and the British, Hema and Melissa dive into key historical moments in Guyanese history: the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade taking enslaved African people to Guyana to work on plantations, the abolition of slavery leading to indentured labourers from India, China and Portugal, to modern history including the declaration of independence from the Crown, and why the United States interfered in the early elections between the two main political parties.

Melissa’s passion for researching the history of Guyana comes through in all of her work, including her petition to digitize the records of enslaved Africans and Indian indentured servants in Guyana.

Resources

CARICOM

Gladstone Coolies

Coolie Woman by Gaitura Bahadur

The Last Ship: Repatriation from British Guiana to India, Nalini Mohabir

Historical Database Suriname and the Caribbean

How to find Indian Indentured Ancestors that went to Guyana and Trinidad

Connect with Melissa

West Indian Diplomacy

Instagram

Facebook

More episodes to listen to

Djamil Ninsoo, Afro-Indo Jamaican Cultural Advocate

West Indian Diplomacy with Melissa

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Exploring Caribbean Culture through Foodways with Dr. Candice Goucher

In this episode Hema chats with guest Dr. Candice Goucher, author of "Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food," about the dynamic and fraught history of Caribbean food and culture.

From the reconstruction of Caribbean culture, the contributions of Indigenous, African, Indian, Chinese, and European peoples to Caribbean culture & cuisine, and the significant role of food in preserving history and culture, Hema and Dr. Goucher discuss the concept of creolization, the impact of European colonization, and the importance of everyday cooks in the Caribbean narrative.

The period of colonization had a lasting impact on the food and culture of the Caribbean, and in her book Dr. Goucher shares the impact that the Caribbean nations had on global culture & cuisine.

Listen to this episode for the survival and adaptation of food traditions amidst historical adversities, how these have contributed to the culinary landscape, and insights into how food history can reveal complex cultural exchanges that shaped the Caribbean.

Dr. Goucher provides insights into Caribbean foodways and history from her perspective as an African historian and archaeologist, Professor Emerita of History at Washington State University, and author of many books on Africa, the Caribbean, and world history. She is a recipient of the World History Association's Pioneers in World History Award for lifetime achievement. Her books on food have won Gourmand awards, including Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (2014) and Picnics and Porcupines: Eating in the Wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (2024). 

Resources

Candice Goucher, Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Routledge, 2014). 

Sharika D. Crawford, The Last Turtlemen of the Caribbean: Waterscapes of Labor, Conservation, and Boundary Making, (University of North Carolina Press, 2020).

Alyssa Sperry, 'Just a Dash of Salt:' Salt and Identity Formation in Historical and Contemporary Jamaica," (M.A. Thesis, University of Oregon, 2021). 

Candice Goucher, "Recipes for Resistance: Gourmet Gods at African-Caribbean Tables," Eaten no. 1 (2017): 88-93.

Candice Goucher, "Caribbean Ice Queens," Eaten no.9  (2020): 6-17. 

Referenced Episodes

Exploring Caribbean Culinary History with Dr. Keja Valens

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What is moreish? | more·​ish ˈmōrish | informal, of food, causing a desire for more

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