CNN’s Zain Asher: Considering Royal Family Profiting from Slavery, Many Want Reparations

SCIUTTO CNN s International ░░░░░░░░ Zain Asher joins us ░░░░░░░░ And Zain there s ░░░░░░░░ because you have the ░░░░░░░░ for the queen across ░░░░░░░░ world some of it ░░░░░░░░ personal but you also ░░░░░░░░ awareness of Britain s ░░░░░░░░ history some of which ░░░░░░░░ lives on today in ░░░░░░░░ Commonwealth of which there ░░░░░░░░ real opposition to an ░░░░░░░░ Larry Madowo was discussing ░░░░░░░░ earlier You re from ░░░░░░░░ Nigerian family grew up ░░░░░░░░ the U K Help ░░░░░░░░ that contradiction I wonder ░░░░░░░░ you personally view that ░░░░░░░░ I would say that ░░░░░░░░ relationship that a lot ░░░░░░░░ black people who are ░░░░░░░░ by birth and who ░░░░░░░░ African ancestry the relationship ░░░░░░░░ a lot of us ░░░░░░░░ with the royal family ░░░░░░░░ certainly a complicated one ░░░░░░░░ the one hand growing ░░░░░░░░ in the U K ░░░░░░░░ were taught that the ░░░░░░░░ are the pinnacle of ░░░░░░░░ high society You are ░░░░░░░░ respect and reverence to ░░░░░░░░ that the crown stands ░░░░░░░░ And also by the ░░░░░░░░ for my own sort ░░░░░░░░ personal situation If you ░░░░░░░░ a child of immigrants ░░░░░░░░ grew up in the ░░░░░░░░ K you craved that ░░░░░░░░ of belonging and there ░░░░░░░░ an understanding throughout your ░░░░░░░░ life that the monarchy ░░░░░░░░ really what unites the ░░░░░░░░ On the other hand ░░░░░░░░ you re also aware ░░░░░░░░ re taught in school ░░░░░░░░ learn on your own ░░░░░░░░ little bit more about ░░░░░░░░ sort of darker history ░░░░░░░░ colonialism SCIUTTO Yeah ASHER ░░░░░░░░ British Empire was part ░░░░░░░░ the greatest colonial experiment ░░░░░░░░ world has ever known ░░░░░░░░ you think about what ░░░░░░░░ actually involves Jim it ░░░░░░░░ ugly business OK SCIUTTO ░░░░░░░░ ASHER The business of ░░░░░░░░ people by force is ░░░░░░░░ brutal one You know ░░░░░░░░ grew up with stories ░░░░░░░░ you know villages in ░░░░░░░░ being burned you know ░░░░░░░░ artifacts being looted Obviously ░░░░░░░░ lot of people dying ░░░░░░░░ that entire process I ░░░░░░░░ that when it comes ░░░░░░░░ Queen Elizabeth specifically there ░░░░░░░░ an understanding and there ░░░░░░░░ an awareness that she ░░░░░░░░ to the throne in ░░░░░░░░ And so she was ░░░░░░░░ more involved and sort ░░░░░░░░ she oversaw much more ░░░░░░░░ sort of breakdown of ░░░░░░░░ British Empire and not ░░░░░░░░ building of it And ░░░░░░░░ think that s a ░░░░░░░░ important point SCIUTTO Yeah ░░░░░░░░ to sort of take ░░░░░░░░ consideration She hasn t ░░░░░░░░ change as much as ░░░░░░░░ could have So I ░░░░░░░░ that if there is ░░░░░░░░ sort of lingering sense ░░░░░░░░ resentment by some people ░░░░░░░░ color because obviously I ░░░░░░░░ t generalize 2 million ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO Of course ASHER ░░░░░░░░ live in the U ░░░░░░░░ 2 million black people ░░░░░░░░ live in the U ░░░░░░░░ if there is some ░░░░░░░░ I think that that ░░░░░░░░ towards the monarchy not ░░░░░░░░ the Queen and there ░░░░░░░░ a distinction the monarchy ░░░░░░░░ the Queen SCIUTTO Important ░░░░░░░░ That s that is ░░░░░░░░ a helpful explanation and ░░░░░░░░ an important distinction So ░░░░░░░░ of the things that ░░░░░░░░ reported on last hour ░░░░░░░░ I think is important ░░░░░░░░ is real anger among ░░░░░░░░ that she did not ░░░░░░░░ for the actions of ░░░░░░░░ empire building But the ░░░░░░░░ monarch can I mean ░░░░░░░░ are things now the ░░░░░░░░ will be what will ░░░░░░░░ Charles do And what ░░░░░░░░ may be said that ░░░░░░░░ t said ASHER I ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ to be really interesting ░░░░░░░░ see whether this sort ░░░░░░░░ Commonwealth experiment survives the ░░░░░░░░ King I mean I ░░░░░░░░ no idea what s ░░░░░░░░ to happen but I ░░░░░░░░ that you know you ░░░░░░░░ last year Barbados for ░░░░░░░░ removing the Queen as ░░░░░░░░ of state you are ░░░░░░░░ growing calls for Republicanism ░░░░░░░░ various other sort of ░░░░░░░░ Commonwealth nations especially in ░░░░░░░░ Caribbean And I think ░░░░░░░░ s this idea that ░░░░░░░░ is now an understanding ░░░░░░░░ how much money the ░░░░░░░░ family may have made ░░░░░░░░ slavery Their involvement in ░░░░░░░░ of colonialism And there ░░░░░░░░ calls for reparations right ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Mm hmm ASHER ░░░░░░░░ if the reparations are ░░░░░░░░ to happen you sort ░░░░░░░░ do get this sense ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ that there s no ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ really do take issue ░░░░░░░░ I think at this ░░░░░░░░ in time SCIUTTO And ░░░░░░░░ you know I mean ░░░░░░░░ there are Republican movements ░░░░░░░░ Australia as well Northern ░░░░░░░░ right Does that does ░░░░░░░░ leave the United Kingdom ░░░░░░░░ it s so good ░░░░░░░░ share your to hear ░░░░░░░░ share your personal experiences ░░░░░░░░ ASHER Thank you Thank ░░░░░░░░ Jim and Poppy SCIUTTO ░░░░░░░░ is a difficult difficult ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW And for anyone ░░░░░░░░ hasn t read Zain ░░░░░░░░ book they should Phenomenal ░░░░░░░░ Thank you HARLOW Real ░░░░░░░░ that people should read ░░░░░░░░ about.”