Afro-Antiguans and Barbudans

Afro-Antiguans and Afro-Barbudans are Antiguans and Barbudans of entirely or predominantly African (notably West African) ancestry.

Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans Antigua and Barbuda
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda
Total population
Approx. 82,041
Regions with significant populations
 Antigua and Barbuda (Approx. 82,041)[1]
Languages
English, Leeward Caribbean Creole English
Religion
Christianity, Rastafari movement

According to the 2013 Census, 91% of Antigua and Barbuda's population is Black and 4.4% is Mulatto.[1]

Antiguan carnival revelers
Slaves cutting sugar cane in Antigua

Origins

Most of the enslaved Africans brought to Antigua and Barbuda disembarked from the Bight of Biafra (22,000 Africans) and the Gold Coast (16,000 Africans). Other African slaves came from the Windward Coast (11,000 Africans), the West Central Africa (9,000 Africans), the Bight of Benin (6,000 Africans), Senegambia (5,000 Africans), Guinea and Sierra Leone (4,000 Africans).[2]

History

Settlers raised tobacco, indigo, ginger, and sugarcane as cash crops. Sir Christopher Codrington established the first large sugar estate in Antigua in 1674, and leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. In the fifty years after Codrington established his initial plantation, the sugar industry became so profitable that many farmers replaced other crops with sugar, making it the economic backbone of the islands. Codrington and others brought slaves from Africa's western coast to work the plantations. Africans started arriving in Antigua and Barbuda in large numbers during the 1670s; they soon became the largest racial group of Antigua and Barbuda.

With all others in the British Empire, Antiguan and Barbudan slaves were emancipated in 1834, but remained economically dependent upon the plantation owners. Economic opportunities for the new freedmen were limited by a lack of surplus farming land, no access to credit, and an economy built on agriculture rather than manufacturing. Poor labour conditions persisted until 1939, when a member of a royal commission urged the formation of a trade union movement.

In the 20th-century was redefined the role of Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans. The colonial social structure gradually started to be phased out with the introduction of universal education and better economic opportunities.[3]

Statistics by Parish
Afro-Antiguans and Barbudans by Parish[4]
Parish Name Counts Percentage
Saint John's City 18,366 84.86%
Saint John Rural 24,861 84.31%
Saint Mary 6,754 92.13%
Saint George 7,122 89.29%
Saint Peter 4,937 92.85%
Saint Philip 3,028 91.15%
Saint Paul 7,405 91.24%
Barbuda 1,546 95.11%
Place of Birth of Afro-Antiguans and Barbudans[4]
Parish Name Africa Other Latin or North American countries Other Caribbean countries Canada Other Asian countries Other European countries Dominica Dominican Republic Guyana Jamaica Monsterrat Antigua and Barbuda St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Syria Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom USA USVI United States Virgin Islands Not Stated
Saint John's City 93 6 119 20 3 3 1,071 139 1,791 1,311 221 12,553 86 152 143 0 67 42 306 69 170
Saint John Rural 113 20 223 74 4 9 1,340 62 1,614 1,613 244 17,527 120 200 286 0 119 131 767 128 265
Saint Mary 3 4 18 17 2 5 203 8 283 314 34 5,470 26 20 19 0 17 36 184 52 39
Saint George 14 3 69 23 1 2 239 15 273 279 61 5,463 37 113 56 0 31 56 244 42 98
Saint Peter 2 6 24 6 0 0 139 7 324 154 22 3,870 23 7 41 0 10 15 147 27 114
Saint Philip 4 2 14 9 1 2 81 4 99 92 6 2,444 7 9 18 0 6 9 123 16 81
Saint Paul 11 6 53 12 2 1 149 12 347 391 28 5,915 30 33 46 0 18 33 219 53 49
Barbuda 0 1 3 3 0 0 22 0 39 19 4 1,409 6 1 7 0 0 6 15 3 2

References and footnotes
  1. "CIA - The World Factbook -- Antigua and Barbuda". CIA. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  2. African origins of the slaves from British and former British Antilles
  3. "Background Note: Antigua and Barbuda". Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  4. "Antigua and Barbuda::Statistics Division/Redatam Webserver | Statistical Process and Dissemination Tool". redatam.org. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
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