ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA – In a moving ceremony held during the Africa-CARICOM Gala Dinner on October 3, 2026, the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission (ABRSC) surprised its long-serving chair, Ambassador Dorbrene O’Marde, with a distinguished honor award celebrating his decades of transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to the global reparatory justice movement.
The decision to honor O’Marde was unanimous among ABRSC members, who highlighted that his visionary, steady guidance has propelled the cause of reparations for historical injustices against people of African descent not only across Antigua and Barbuda, but throughout the entire Caribbean region and beyond. For the commission, the award was far more than a ceremonial gesture; it was a public expression of gratitude to a leader who has dedicated most of his professional life to advancing truth, dignity, redress and accountability for the harms of chattel slavery.
The inscription on the honor reflects the scope of O’Marde’s impact: “In recognition of your visionary leadership, unwavering commitment and distinguished service to the cause of reparatory justice. Your steadfast pursuit of truth, justice, dignity and redress has strengthened the reparations movement and created an enduring legacy for generations to come. Ubuntu — ‘I am because we are’.”
As a respected Caribbean intellectual, cultural advocate, writer and prominent regional voice, O’Marde’s contributions to the reparations movement extend well beyond his leadership of the national commission. He has long been at the forefront of regional and global conversations centered on historical accountability, the restoration of African cultural identity, and demands for reparatory action from former colonial powers. Under his direction, the ABRSC has prioritized expanding grassroots engagement with the reparations cause, working to move the conversation beyond institutional and academic spaces to win the buy-in and understanding of ordinary citizens, particularly young people who will carry the movement forward into the future.
In addition to the honor award, O’Marde received a limited-edition 90th Anniversary English Harbour Rum as a supplementary gesture of appreciation, a tribute that also honors Antigua and Barbuda’s unique national cultural heritage.
The ceremony itself was anchored in the South African principle of Ubuntu that has guided the commission’s work from its inception, a philosophy that emphasizes collective identity and shared responsibility—a value that O’Marde has woven into every aspect of his leadership. Commission members noted that O’Marde has consistently centered collective action, framing the fight for reparations as a shared struggle rooted in honoring the sacrifices of enslaved African ancestors through ongoing, deliberate action.
The ABRSC reaffirmed its deep pride in O’Marde’s leadership, expressing enduring gratitude for his continued wisdom, guidance and service to the cause. Commission representatives emphasized that his legacy stretches far beyond the policy and advocacy wins the movement has already secured; it lives in the generations of young activists he continues to inspire to carry on the pursuit of justice, dignity and full reparations.