This book began as a celebration—a tribute to the witty, irreverent, and colourful characters I encountered while developing the Barbados tourism encyclopedia. I wanted to write about the contribution of “Africa Skills That Build Barbados” and share their stories, brimming with humour, charm, and resilience, as a testament to the vibrant culture of this island I’ve come to call home.
My story started as a joyful account of my Barbados journey. But history has a way of demanding to be heard, and Slavery is a scar, deep and unyielding, that shapes the soul of the Caribbean and everyone connected to it. As I explored the layers of history that underpin Barbados, I found myself drawn—no, compelled—into the gut-wrenching reality of the African slave trade. I could not look away from the harrowing images of England’s slave ships, crammed with human cargo: men, women, and children, nobles and peasants alike, torn from their homelands and thrust into a perilous journey across the Atlantic.
What began as light-hearted storytelling transformed into an all-consuming reckoning with humanity’s darkest chapters. As a white Caribbean man, I felt a profound sense of responsibility to confront this history, to honour the resilience of those who endured it, and to give voice to the untold stories etched into the fabric of this island. It is now my homage to the legacy of colonial Slavery—not a mere recounting of facts but a deeply personal journey. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of those who survived, a reflection on what it means to bear witness, and an invitation to understand how this history continues to shape our lives today.
Africa Skills That Built Barbados
AI1 A Stylized View of African Sklls and colonial values emulation
In Barbados, enslaved Africans performed various tasks that fueled the island’s plantation economy and supported colonial society. Their roles ranged from physically demanding labour to specialized tasks requiring skill and expertise. Here’s a breakdown of the jobs they did and the skills they brought with them:
Skilled Planation Labor
- Sugar Plantation Workers:
- Cultivating, planting, and harvesting sugarcane was the primary role of enslaved workers.
- Cutting and processing sugarcane was gruelling and required strength and endurance.
- Provision Grounds:
- Cultivating food crops on small plots to feed themselves and sometimes the plantation owners.
- Livestock Care:
- Tending to cattle, goats, and chickens.
- Cotton and Tobacco Cultivation:
- Growing and harvesting other crops before sugar became dominant.
Skilled Trades
metalwork,machinery-carpentry
- Carpenters and Builders:
- Many enslaved Africans had skills in woodworking, building houses, sugar mills, and boats.
- These skills were often honed on plantations for constructing and maintaining estate infrastructure.
- Blacksmiths and Metalworkers:
- Forging tools, repairing machinery, and creating household items.
- Masons:
- Skilled in stonework and bricklaying, essential for building plantation houses, mills, and other structures.
- Coopers:
- Crafting barrels and containers used for storing sugar and rum.
- Weavers and Basket Makers:
- Creating textiles, baskets, and mats for household and agricultural use.
Processing Sugar & Rum
Cast iron Sugar Kettle – A dangerous job left to African Slaves. Now garden and historic attractions
- Boilers and Mill Workers:
- Operating the sugar mills and boiling houses required precision to extract and process sugar from cane. It was dangerous work and may died by slipping into the boiling sugar.
- Rum Distillers:
- Enslaved workers played key roles in producing rum from sugar byproducts.
- The Dutch were key to developing and commercializing sugar and rum. Africans soon learned that skill and became an essential part of the sugar can and rum industry. For more about the Dutch expertise, click here>>>>The boiling room, one of the most dangerous jobs on the plantation
Boiling Pots: Credit: British Library, Acc. #1786.c.9, plate VI, Original Author: William Clark Created: 1823, Medium: Hand-colored aquatint
Domestic Roles
- Household Servants:
- Working as cooks, maids, and nannies in planter households.
- Personal Attendants:
- Acting as butlers, dressmakers, or valets.
Artisans and Creatives
- Potters:
- Making ceramics and cooking utensils.
- Musicians and Performers:
- Enslaved Africans contributed music and storytelling, blending African traditions with local culture.
Mechanical Skills
The previous images are stylized views of African Sklls emulating colonial values in dress and attitude.
- Farming Expertise:
- Enslaved Africans were knowledgeable in tropical agriculture, including rice, yams, and plantains.
- Their expertise made them instrumental in developing plantation systems.
- Metalworking:
- African blacksmithing traditions influenced tools and weapon-making in the Caribbean.
- Carpentry and Masonry:
- Africans were adept at construction, using techniques adapted to the Caribbean environment.
AI2. AI generated Images – Maybe a more realistic view of history
- Africans were adept at construction, using techniques adapted to the Caribbean environment.
- Textile Making:
- Weaving, dyeing, and crafting fabrics from natural fibers.
- Herbal Medicine and Healing:
- Africans brought knowledge of plants, herbs, and traditional medicine, which proved invaluable in treating illnesses.
- Musical and Cultural Practices:
- African drumming, dancing, and storytelling enriched Barbadian culture and inspired traditions like tuk music.
Maritime Work
- Dockworkers and Shipbuilders:
- Working in Bridgetown ports, loading ships, repairing vessels, and handling cargo.
- Fishermen:
- Skilled in navigating Caribbean waters or foraging off coral reefs and bays to provide seafood for local consumption.
AI3- Imaginative image of fishing for food
Spiritual Conscience: The African Heartbeat of Barbados
There is a profound spiritual quality to the Africans who became the driving force of modern Barbados. Rooted in a deep sense of community, they embody the belief that ‘we are, therefore I am.’ Much like the Rastafarians of Jamaica, their worldview emphasizes unity, collective strength, and the interconnectedness of all. Concepts like I & I, livity, or Zion and Babylon are central to the Rastafari movement, forming the foundation of their spiritual and philosophical worldview (iii). This spirit of interconnectedness and resilience has deeply influenced the vibrant culture and enduring legacy of Barbados today, as featured in the book Rogues in Paradise.
Enslaved Africans brought to the Americas and the Caribbean were forced to adopt Christianity. Yet, they preserved their spirituality in a hostile environment by blending traditional beliefs with Christian elements. Over time, African spirituality merged with Christianity, giving rise to Afro-Caribbean interpretations of traditions like Vodou and Obeah. Rooted in the spiritual systems of West Africa, these faiths incorporate practices such as ancestor veneration, nature worship, and a belief in the power of spirits to shape daily life.
Africa Skills Video Summary
The list above is the Africa Skills That Built Barbados. They highlight the creativity and adaptability of enslaved Africans in Barbados. Despite immense oppression, they contributed significantly to the island’s development and left a lasting cultural legacy.
The images in this blog were created with AI – Learn more here >>>
Free Sample Chapters of Rogues in Paradise
The Bitter Cauldron: Sugar’s Unseen History
This short video features glimpses of the large pots similar to the cast iron sugar-boiling kettles once integral to sugar production on the island. These relics testify to the African skills and craftsmanship that shaped Barbados’ thriving sugar industry. It was dangerous work, and many slaves met their end, falling into boiling sugar.
Rogues Chapter 20 –
The video depicts chapter 20, Gulles, Caves and Gardens. The scene is of Hunts Gardens carved out of one of the many gullies in Barbados: Meet the remarkable man who created the most enchanted place on earth!
Download Free Sample Chapter & Invitation to Launch
Related
Learn more about work conditions, such as 18-hour shifts, and how many had to work for as long as 48 hours without a break. Life on the plantations was so hard that 1/3 of enslaved Africans died within three years on average.
When the English settlers from Barbados went to Pernambuco, they met the Dutch there. The Portuguese regained the lost ground in the next decade, forcing the Dutch to leave Brazil and relocate to Barbados.
iii. Rastafarianism— https://www.thecollector.com/iyaric-ini-rastafari/
This page https://roguesinparadise.com/africa-skills-that-built-barbados/
Several images were created with AI. The first two emulated colonial values. Prompted to make it more realistic, ChatGPT generated AI2, saying, “Here’s a more realistic depiction of African masons, carpenters, and artisans working on colonial-era buildings in Barbados.” AI3 is a fantasy of fishing of the coast in colonial days. It may not be historically precise, but it conveys a strong sense of the time.