Lloyd's Of London Responds To T.I.'s Open Letter About Its Connection To The Slave Trade

(AllHipHop News) Tip “T.I.” Harris took it upon himself to address Lloyd’s of London’s historical ties to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The entertainer/businessman wrote a two-page open letter to the 334-year-old insurance market in July.

T.I. listed four demands in his letter. He called on Lloyd’s to give 10% of its ownership to descendants of African slaves, ensure at least one member of its board be an African-American, conduct accurate annual tracking of reparations, and provide $1 million cash loan with 1% interest to every adult African-American in their lifetime for the next 200 years.

The Family Hustle star wrote on Instagram, at the time:

As promised… an open letter to Lloyd’s of London @lloydsoflondon on behalf of “The Descendants” of African Slaves. We demand equitable financial consideration for their “shameful role” (quoting them) they played in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. Our people have been financially impaired & economically disabled due to the systemic oppression and institutional racism it leaves behind. Our demands are clearly stated in the letter above. Any & everyone who agrees with the message & intention of the letter hit the link in my bio to sign the petition. IF WE WANT REPARATIONS WE HAVE TO DEMAND IT‼️ LIFE IS ABOUT LEVERAGE‼️ Asking nicely will only get US more of the same excuses “Why Not” as usual. TIME TO TAKE WHAT WE KNOW OUR ANCESTORS DESERVED & DIED FOR‼️ #LloydsofLondonOfficialNotice #TheDecendants #USorELSE✊

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Lloyd’s Of London has now responded to T.I.’s open letter:

We cannot unfortunately undo the past. But we would like to play an active role in trying to level the playing field for Black and Minority Ethnic people in today’s world. On 10 June we announced an initial action plan that focuses on education, research and significant funding for charities and other organisations that promote opportunity and inclusion for Black and Minority Ethnic colleagues. There is much more to do and we will work with our Cultural Advisory Group to determine our longer term plans.

T.I. replied to Lloyd’s Of London’s response to his initial letter. He referred to the British corporate body’s “actions to rectify the situation as admirable but insufficient.” The 39-year-old emcee is asking his followers and other supporters to sign an Us or Else petition that calls for “equitable financial consideration” from Lloyd’s for its role in perpetuating the enslavement of Africans during the 1700s and 1800s.