What was the true beating heart of community life in Barbados? Professor Henry Fraser introduces his central thesis: that the village shops were once the social, economic, and cultural centre of almost every village. Discover the critical role they played in building social capital—both the horizontal support between neighbours and the vertical guidance passed from older generations to the young. Learn how the rise of mini-marts and gas stations first began to break this rich social web.

Sometimes, the quickest way into history is through melody. Get ready for your "Five Minutes of Folk," as we dive into the stories hidden in old Barbadian songs. Discover tales of a Nigerian king’s exile, the mysterious Ice House fire, bread sellers fighting to make ends meet, and the relentless labor that turned sugar cane into survival. This is the history of an island, sung, not spoken.

Produced by Shayla Murrell of our partner BGIS Radio.

Sometimes, the quickest way into history is through melody. Get ready for your "Five Minutes of Folk," as we dive into the stories hidden in old Barbadian songs.

Available from February 25.

You know the Salem Witch Trials, but do you know the secret history? The spark that lit the fire was Tituba, an enslaved woman brought from Barbados. Arthur Miller’s play casts her in the shadows, but "Obeah Opera" by Nicole Brooks dares to tell the story in her voice. Discover how the "greatest witch hunt in the Americas" began with a Bajan voice that art is finally helping us to hear.

Produced by Shayla Murrell of our partner BGIS Radio.

• More information about Obeah Opera

The very first person accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 was an enslaved woman brought from Barbados, named Tituba.

Available from February 18

This episode sounds like Barbados, literally. Hear the story of the Tuk Band, the unmistakable heartbeat behind festivals and celebrations. Born from African roots and remixed on plantations when drums were forbidden, its rhythm found a way, brought to life with whatever instruments were at hand. Now, the Tuk Band is a powerful symbol of defiance and joy pulsing through the island’s culture.

Produced by Shayla Murrell of BGIS Radio.

In our final episode, we confront the global legacy of slavery and chart a path toward true reconciliation. Writer, lawyer, diplomat and Pan-Africanist thinker Ambassador David Comissiong explores the profound global significance of the Caribbean reparations movement, framing the struggle as a restoration of Africa's central role in human history and a cultural and historical restoration. He roots reparations in international law, stating that the goal is to "wipe out the consequences of the illegal act and restore the situation that would have existed if the crime had never been committed." The complete lecture on which this series is based, hosted by the National Library Service, is available on the NLS Facebook page.

READING GUIDE:

• Testing the Chains: Resistance to Slavery in the British West Indies by Michael Craton (1982) - A comprehensive study of slave resistance and rebellion from the 17th century through the 1830s.

• How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney (1972) - Argues that African underdevelopment is a direct result of systematic exploitation by European powers, with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as the primary engine.

• Slavery Reparations: Time Is Now: Exposing Lies, Claiming Justice for Global Survival - An International Legal Assessment by Dr. Nora Wittmann (2013) - A seminal work providing a historical and legal assessment of claims related to transatlantic slavery, challenging the notion of no legal basis for reparations.

• It's the Healing of the Nation: The Case For Reparations In An Era of Recession and Re-colonisation by Ambassador David Comissiong (2013, 2022) - A concise historical and legal case for reparations, arguing it is necessary for Caribbean integration, economic revival, and the upliftment of people of African descent.

A powerful five-part series with historian and raconteur Professor Henry Fraser, exploring how the iconic corner shop was the essential bank, social centre, and lifeline of Barbadian community life—and what its disappearance means for the island’s social capital.