Premier On Abolition of Slavery Day
The following article was written by Premier Dr Ewart Brown on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Today, people of conscience gather around the world in recognition of UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. While slavery, the most evil, vicious and despicable system of oppression devised by man has managed to survive in various forms across the globe and into the 21st century, here in Bermuda we are celebrating almost 200 years of freedom from bondage.
During the slave trade, slaves who were rebellious, disrespectful, or bold could be whipped, maimed, disfigured or killed in front of the other slaves. This would send a message that the African slaves were to know what the slave master called, “their place.” As a result, many of us learned to whisper when we should be outspoken, smile and joke when we should be angry and self medicate to hide our pain. We learned that intelligence, confidence and self –respect were characteristics to be feared and despised rather than admired.
Both blacks and whites have been damaged by the practice of slavery and post abolition practices. Unearned privilege and expressions of indignation on any mention of race have been the dominant theme. As a product of a racially divided Bermuda I made the decision early in my tenure as Premier that I would not preside over the economic and technological advances in my country without instilling in my people a healthy understanding and knowledge of the truth – past and present. For that reason we initiated the Big Conversation, to break down the walls of silence and our cross racial fear of addressing the real issues that continue to divide our people.
Since 2007 the Bermuda Race Relations Initiative has tackled the issues of racial disparities in wages, unearned privilege, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, racism in the media and other relevant and timely topics. The initial conversations have been raucous and have caused discomfort but for the good of all Bermudians had to happen. Some Bermudians, both black and white have chosen not to engage in the conversation. Others have chosen to argue that simply discussing race creates division and hatred between our people. Therefore there is a stalemate of sorts where those of us who have encouraged the Big Conversation have had to wage an uphill battle to keep the dialogue going. It is encouraging however that a significant number of whites have chosen to engage, having seen that the Big Conversation was not about platitudes and revenge but about having a real, substantive and sometimes uncomfortable conversation about race in Bermuda. Getting past the discomfort that these discussions caused required courage, determination and commitment and we salute those who pressed on and helped to keep the conversation going. This will lead to the next stage; greater cross racial understanding and counter-racist action by both black and white Bermudians. This will lead inevitably to policy changes that acknowledge and address the reality of racial disparities between black and white at the systemic level. This will not happen overnight. Patience will be required.
The challenges before us are clear. In 21st Century Bermuda many college educated black Bermudians still make less money than non-college educated whites. This is not only unacceptable but is a contributing factor to racial tension. A society that accepts the notion that white skin is more relevant to economic opportunity and success than education and hard work will see increasing social unrest, rising levels of social alienation and a perpetuation of the cycle of division and hatred that has afflicted the relationship between blacks and whites for hundreds of years.
The Mincy Report has revealed that many of our young black males are lacking in “soft skills,” the personal attributes that improve and enhance job performance, social interaction and the ability to work with and interact effectively with authority figures. Lacking these skills, our young men are condemned to struggle to gain and maintain meaningful employment and more likely to become alienated from our society. We will need to provide our people with these skills and the relevant training to eliminate this obstacle to opportunity and to protect the stability of our island and our economy.
These are just a few of the challenges that we will need to address as we move from conversation to action, but without addressing the issue of unearned privilege real progress will never be attained. In a system and culture developed through white supremacy, all whites enjoy the benefits of their skin color whether they are overtly racist or not. Consequently, there is a major role to be played by the white community. By continuing the Big Conversation, engaging in meaningful, constructive dialogue, challenging racism whenever it appears and recognizing the impact that unearned privilege continues to play in our country the goal of racial reconciliation will become a more likely reality.
Let us go forward united in the principles of justice and freedom, committed to tearing down the structural and institutional barriers that reinforce old wrongs. I urge Bermudians to continue the Big Conversation and move Bermuda forward!
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