IT HAS LONG BEEN SAID that a picture is worth a thousand words. If there was still any doubt, the front cover of THE NATION of Thursday, April 10, provided the proof.

There, we saw stern-faced local public officials watching Africans who were about to eat. That picture could be described as "a sign of the times". – not just the table on display, but the message being sent.

There it was for all to see – unhappy looking Africans at a table with no tablecloth. Plastic cups with what appears to be red Kool-Aid, plastic plates with "something" on them and plastic forks. Was this the Government's idea of promoting good health and wellness and our authentic Barbadian hospitality?

With the Amistad reinforcing the message, it suddenly made clear to me what slavery must have been like.

Perhaps, it is a good thing that these Africans were "victims of circumstance" and not criminals. Why [has] our Government been caught napping on this matter?

– ANGELA NELSON