Behind Disney’s Wash — The 1661 Barbados Slave Code

 

 

Behind “Wash”: Barbados’s 1661 Slave Code and the Atlantic Blueprint Barbados became Britain’s first slave society in the 17th century. The 1661 Barbados Slave Code legalised chattel slavery and influenced laws across the English Caribbean—and beyond. 

This 56-second trailer pairs the fiction of Washington Black with the real historical backdrop. Read more + sources: 

https://roguesinparadise.com/washington-black-meets-the-real-barbados/

From Barbados to Halifax by Balloon: Fantasy Meets Reality

 

Halifax fueled Barbados’ sugar economy—then turned into a destination for freedom seekers and later planned migration. The result: world-class culture and leadership.
 This is just a sample of the full deep dive Podcast.

👉 Full hybrid podcast + script: https://roguesinparadise.com/washington-black-meets-the-real-barbados/

 

Abstract of the full Podcase on WashingtonBlack and its' couterpart Rogues in Paradise

 

Stories move in two directions at once. Imagination lifts us above the field; memory asks us to walk it. Washington Black offers the lift. Rogues in Paradise offers the walk. The lift matters. It lets us feel the urgency of escape and the sweetness of possibility. But the walk matters more if we want to understand how a place becomes itself. 

 

 In Barbados, that means facing the first British slave society, the export of laws and discipline across the Caribbean, and the entangled routes that reached all the way to Halifax. It means hearing voices that rarely make it to the screen—the rogues who tease, resist, hustle, pray, and joke their way through history. 

 

https://roguesinparadise.com/washington-black-meets-the-real-barbados/ 

 

 

Truth vs Fiction: Washington Black Meets RoguesCulture

The factsbehind the fantasy of Washington Black: By the middle of the 1600s, Barbados had developed an incredibly brutal efficiency, sugar production controlling the enslaved population. A horrifying system. Horrifying, yes. And efficient in the worst way. This system was then basically exported across the Caribbean. They even codified it, you know, with laws like the 1661 Slave Code. What did that do? It legally defined enslaved people as chattel. personal property, stripped them of absolutely all rights. This extreme system perfected, if you can use that word, in Barbados, it set the standard for generations of exploitation. Wow. So Barbados is building this machine of extraction and brutality. Where does Halifax fit in? It couldn't have been totally separate, right? No, not separate at all. Halifax, Nova Scotia played a really critical role and a complex one. Kind of contradictory, actually. How so? Well, initially it was absolutely part of that same system. Think about it. See the full podcast- https://roguesinparadise.com/washington-black-meets-the-real-barbados/

Why Voice only Podcast are Fading:

 

 

For years, podcasts were the voice of a silent revolution — streaming through headphones, shaping opinions, and stirring ideas with nothing more than sound. But the tide is turning. The listen-only era is fading, and a new kind of storytelling is rising — one that speaks not just to the ear, but to the eye, the soul, and the cultural conscience.

Platforms are responding. Amazon recently announced it would remove audio-only podcasts from its music service. The reason? The future isn’t just heard — it’s seen. Video podcasting is exploding, not just as a trend but as a statement. Creators are reclaiming the visual stage to bring presence, emotion, and identity to stories that demand more than voice.

And this shift isn’t just technical. It’s cultural.

In a world where too many voices have been muted or misrepresented, being seen is as powerful as being heard. From rebel punk bands to street protests, from soul to funk, the rhythm of resistance has always lived in both sound and motion.

This is the energy behind RoguesCulture — my podcast-turned-visual-series where stories of rebellion, identity, and postcolonial resilience break free from the constraints of audio. We’re moving forward, not just listening, but watching, feeling, moving.

The podcast didn’t die — it evolved.

 We’re here to show you what matters. 🎬 See the voices. 🎙️ Hear the stories. 🔥 Welcome to the era of video-powered voices. https://roguesinparadise.com/amazon-podcasting-shifts-to-video/ — 🌐 

 

aslo see our RoguesPodcast.series on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIJI4LdhXsg&list=PLsLsbgFYUZUGwDugnQEdeORuF5AhzTliF

Sir Garry Sobers Barbados Myschievious Spirit

 

At the World Travel Market in London, I had the privilege of working alongside one of the Caribbean’s greatest icons—Sir Garry Sobers. Known worldwide for his cricketing brilliance, Sir Garry proved just as legendary off the field. 

He was the star of the Barbados booth: warm, down-to-earth, and generous with his time. He chatted with everyone—visitors, vendors, and passersby—carrying the charisma of a true ambassador. But what I’ll never forget is the moment he struck up an animated conversation with my girlfriend. Then, with a playful grin, he invited her to dinner. 

When she said she was with me, he replied: “Ah, but Ian’s a young man—he’ll be around for years. Me? I’m an old man. This might be your last chance!” 

That mischievous wit captured the heart of Barbados—irreverent, charming, and rich with soul. This unforgettable moment inspired a deeper look into the island’s culture, captured in my book Rogues in Paradise—a true story of unlikely heroes, rogues, legends, and the spirit of the Caribbean. 👉 

Read the full story: https://roguesinparadise.com/date-with-sir-garry-sobers/ 

📘 Explore the book: https://roguesinparadise.com

Get Free sample chapters at http://sample.roguesinparadise.com 

Flip-Flops and Fearlessness: The Rogues Who Shaped Culture

 

I’m not your usual historian. I’m a provocateur in flip-flops, listening to the real Barbados. Rogues in Paradise captures forgotten voices with humor and depth. Click to read the full reflection. 

Some write about empire from afar. I walked its aftermath in sandals, learning from vendors, poets, and outlaws. Rogues in Paradise tells their story—with reverence, mischief, and truth. 

 

https://roguesinparadise.com/pensive-in-paradise-why-i-wrote-rogues-in-paradise/#flipflops 

Funkadelic Influence MiniPod

 

Funk might have risen in American cities, but its roots and rhythms are deeply connected to the Caribbean. The syncopated groove, the call-and-response, the deep percussive drive—these elements aren’t just African-American. They’re Afro-Caribbean too.

In RoguesCulture, we explore the rebel rhythms that reshaped identity and culture—and in the Caribbean, funk found a natural echo. This isn’t just musical coincidence—it’s cultural convergence.

The transatlantic slave trade carried African rhythms to both the Americas and the Caribbean. In places like Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica, those rhythms evolved into calypso, soca, mento, and reggae—styles pulsing with soul and storytelling. Meanwhile, in the U.S., those same rhythms evolved into jazz, blues, soul, and eventually funk. 

read more and listen to the Rogues Culture soul Rebel Podcast 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxrDccX9F34