79%: We Need To Work Towards Racial Justice
A recent study conducted indicated that 79% pf people felt that there is a need for groups in Bermuda to work toward racial justice.
A statement from CURB’s President Cordell Riley said: “In a survey conducted earlier this year, registered voters strongly felt that there was a need for groups to work toward racial justice.
“Nearly 8 in 10 respondents (79%) felt that there is a need for groups in Bermuda, such as Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB), to do this kind of work. And the difference by race was not significant with 81% of blacks stating that there was a need compared to 76% of whites.
“There were no differences by sex, with 80% of males supporting the need to work for racial justice, compared to 78% of females. While the results among age groups were also not significant (80% for the 18-34 age group, 79% for the 35-54 age group, and 78% for those 55 and over), the result for young people was particularly surprising.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests that younger people are not as focused on race, or talk less about it, even as they perceive older people to dwell more on it. However, since the wording of the question was ‘work toward racial justice’, it is possible that younger people prefer to work toward, rather than just talk about, racial justice.
“The only significant result was by income. Persons earning more than $100,000 were more inclined than those earning less to support racial justice efforts (84% for those earning $100,000 or more, compared to 78% for those earning $50-$100,000, and 75% for those earning less than $50,000.)
“It is possible that lower income earners are more focused on survival and less on other issues. Higher income earners may will be aware of the need for racial justice but unsure as to how to tackle it.
“The survey was conducted between November of 2011 and early February 2012 among 301 registered voters. There was a mix of landlines and cell phones with more than 90% of calls being made to landlines. The margin of error was plus or minus 5.6% and data were weighted as appropriate.”
No, Bermuda. What we need to work towards is justice for the victims, family and friends who have been MURDERED. Lets get priorities right here and start looking at the real issues instead of making dumb sh*t up that doesn’t even exist in a 21st century Bermuda.
If by “Justice for the victims, family and friends” you mean the “family and friends” come forward and start spilling the beans about what went on, then yes, I agree with you 100%! That’s exactly what we need – we need the families and friends to start SPEAKING cuz everybody knows that they know exactly why their church-going-not-inna-gang son got shot.
Until “those who know” get in tight with reality and start speaking up, nothing is going to change.
Fact.
Wow maybe I am one of those with my head in the sand because racism dont wear the same clothing as in the days of old and it dont have the same speech as in the days of old but is very much keeping up with the times we live in and the high sophisticated ways of technology to say we as black are the same as we have always been and they refuse to think different,now not all whites think or act this way toward blacks or the other way around but their is till to much hatred toward each other based on the color of ones skin and most often it is not said with the mouth but shown by our actions.
So when we want to talk about helping families and friends for victims that desrve justice,I ask you to go deeper and some of us need to be real and go to the root of these problems and we may not like what we find.thsi is the 21st century and we have moved away from those old antiquated ways of thinking and living but it is that old antiquated thinking and livimg that kept most of our assses safe,so you do the math and see where we went wrong as a people,I never lived in an all white community but I do remember having a few dirty whites in my hood as achild and I say that with respect because if the truth be told they were not good enough for the quote on quote upper white class but the point is we lived and ate out of each others homes and coexisted and got along fine,but today you hace hell to know who is in the apartment above you.
So yes we have to deal with the racial divide,especially in the work place and the pay check.
I hear your pain, but consider that issues of race actually come into play when discussing the rise in murders over the past couple of decades. In fact, “race” draws the line between the groups who have been directly affected by the murders and those whose experiences have been mostly periphery; really, how many sobbing white families have you seen on the 7pm nightly? Let us take gun violence for instance and consider a couple questions that may clarify my point.
How many young white men (or any non-blacks), have been murdered in Bermuda over the past couple of decades, when compared to blacks?
Why?
Is the difference between black/white folk a matter of blacks simply being more prone to acts of violence? On the other hand, is there an underlying contributing factor that requires a closer look?
Why and why aren’t we looking?
It should beckon a stream of questions, but let us have our next action steps formulated with the answers to those questions in mind. To omit race in a matter that is only directly affecting that social demographic is illogical, insincere and any solution devised without consideration of “race” is doomed to fail.
You do deserve your justice and all our seeds whether black or white deserve to inherent an island where ones race does not determine their mortality.
If I invite the ____ people on my job every time I have an event or party, and also the ones I meet socially, and both refuse to turn up how do you build relationships with these lot
Also I am educated at a red brick university am a professional with post graduate qualifications and 10+ years international experience OUTSIDE Bermuda yet everyjob, including my current role I am still paid $50,000 – $175,000 less than my ______ peer group.
PLP couldnt do it and I am very sure OBA cant, the bottom line is our local HR specialists need to have the backbone to have an honest conversation with Senior Management and sell the benefits of paying locals and _______ fairly.
For now, nobody is interested, particularly if you dont spend your evenings at Pickled Onion working on your UK or US accent.
Sad reality for qualified Bermudians.
Survey by whom?
Add me to the number and make it 80%! Those people like Dunkley, Michael and Gibbons, Grant support and breathes racism into Bermuda communities. A vote for the OBA will take all black people back. If you could just witness the club house talks at mid ocean, Riddles bay, the yacht club one would not support any OBA/UBP/NewUBP. They refer to black as theieves, talk about all young black as gang members, and call the black politicians opportunists.
I Agreed with 80%, the elitist rich white community seems to paint all Blacks with the same negative brush. Can’t trust them.
should has stated that “most elistis rich white” paint most Blacks with the same negative brush.
According to this survey, the rich white people wanna talk about race more than the poor white people….
What is your point again?
Yawn.
“The only significant result was by income. Persons earning more than $100,000 were more inclined than those earning less to support racial justice efforts (84% for those earning $100,000 or more, compared to 78% for those earning $50-$100,000, and 75% for those earning less than $50,000.)” This does not support your argument at all maybe your just special………………….
LOL
Rubbish! your statement is prejudicial.
Who are you to state what people say when you are not there yourself!
@80%
Were you born yesterday?
Do you know Michael Dunkley personally?
Those that are old enough will remember that Gibbons Company allowed blacks to shop in their store when other white owned businesses would not.
Between 10 and fifteen percent of every population of every country in the world is bigotted. Unfortunately this may never change, at least not in our life time. These individuals are the problem.
You cannot enact laws or rules to stop racism. Racism exists in the minds of individuals and most of them will not change, however we should be educating our youth as to the evils of racism and teach them to respect everyone despite difference in skin colour, religion, nationality and any other differences. That is the only way we are going eliminate racism.
80%,
I wish my people would wake up to the reality you have described. There has and will never be racial justice between Black and white people because white people do not know what justice is. Further, white people cannot change because they are natural destroyers.
Will somebody please persuade Cannonier to step aside BEFORE the forthcoming General Election because he is only being used by the UBP/OBA whites to entice Black voters. Should they make it in – I hope they don’t, he will be given a sharp, swift boot and will be replaced by the milkman who has been instructed to hold his tongue and let the Blacks in his party attack their brothers and sisters in the PLP. This is what you call putting a white fist behind a Black face to do damage to his/her own.
“because white people do not know what justice is. Further, white people cannot change because they are natural destroyers.” WOW ………………………
LOL you are defiantly part of the problem.
What do you think Lynn Winfield?
“natural destroyers”
How do you even substantiate this claim? Looking at the world and it’s history in all cultures where there are too many examples of humans period being destructful to the environment and to ourselves but it just white people. This is why I can not support those that think like you in cases such as this. If the PLP’s supporters that really have Bermuda and all its people’s best interest why do they not seem to have a voice and only the ones who are racial charged are given the opportunity to speak this type of rhetoric does not come from the OBA or any white people I know it comes manly from PLP supporters. In fact the only reason the PLP got into power is by people switching their vote to PLP in 1998. If you believe that only black people did that then you are wrong. Another lie the PLP like to propagate. Generalizations such as this only work to destroy relationships people like CURE only wish they could foster…….
LOL
What, exactly, is “racial justice”? Is it the idea that blacks and whites should be treated the same, the idea that there should be some kind of compensation for blacks as victims of historic racism, or something else?
I was wondering what the term meant myself, and I’d be curious to know if the respondents were supplied with the same definition.
We stopped taking phone surveys ages ago because the questions were usually poorly worded and it was necessary to ask the surveyor questions, which they couldn’t answer. (No fault to those making the caller as they are supposed to simply follow the script, not explain the content.)
We need to work towards getting people jobs, so they can eat. We need to work so people stop killing each other. We need to work together to help Bermuda survive………. why would this topic be important at this time?
…….. because there is an election coming and we think we should work towards making RACE our mandate…… Pleeeeease!
‘Racial Justice’??? That sounds suspiciously like ‘Racial Revenge’. Not exactly bringing the races together are we CURB?
racial revenge can work
Only if you would like continual racial revenge……………………
LOL
To hell with all the wh*** they will never get it…that includes my wife to
let’s get on with life shall we.
This shows strong willigness to change from a significant majority. I think this is good. Change is coming…
ELECTION TIMEEEE……………………………..
We really need the message to get to the most elite of any race, to understand their greedy ways are choking the rest of us and we no longer submit to their demands! all of this preaching to the choir is non-sensical,I am not interested in getting the message of equality to poor people of race because the situation has forced most of us to get along despite. However the classy, distinguished people who deficate just like the rest of us need to understand their money does’t make them intelligent or safe, we really need the message of human equality to resonate..
Exactly, the biggest divide is between rich and poor and the rich, no matter what race don’t want you to see this. Any given opportunity the elite can use to stir your emotions and take your eyes off their greedy way, they will do it.
Racial Justice is the elimination of psychological indignities, like “stigmatic injury, stereotypes and subjective emotional harm,” RATHER than remaining “focused on economic justice and the tangible evils of racial hierarchy.” – Misunderstanding Racial Justice, N.Y Times
Yes election time and can’t wait for Obama and Cox administrations to beat out Romney and Dunkley/Gibbons. Yea I know Craig is not the helm driver.
From my eyes, it is the rich white elitist as a Mr. Michael Dunkley who is responsible for the racial divide. He oust all the Black leaders of his party and the likes of Maxwell Burgess and Jamel Simmons, then reinvented the party with the NewUBP and BDA now OBA/newUBP to fool us all and he’s doing it by coming into our homes bearing false witness to us. Do not trust them, you will be sorry.
Not as sorry as you’ll be if you vote PLP. Public debt per household in Bermuda is now over $45,000 per family. That’s equivalent to the US’ burden – only they have a diversified economy and much more scope to set monetary policy.
“The only significant result was by income. Persons earning more than $100,000 were more inclined than those earning less to support racial justice efforts (84% for those earning $100,000 or more, compared to 78% for those earning $50-$100,000, and 75% for those earning less than $50,000.)” again just does not support your argument or is spreading this type of scaremongering all you have. No substance the governments record so this is the best that you can do?????????……………… you make me
LOL everytime I think of the shoe on the other foot lololololol
Didn’t Burgess and Simmons leave of their own accord? The grass was greener elsewhere as I recall it.
You’re talking utter rubbish aren’t you.
Why did Donte Hunt, Mark P and Shawn Crockwell leave???
racial justice = removing the westminster system…and ending the rule of political parties
an’t nothing changing,,,,,,
you all like licks,
rise up and take back
Take back what exactly?
Reality the PLP needs hate to make the campaign go their way. They will not and can not stand on their record. Don’t take the bait. There have been serious mistakes and oversights that have been brazenly rubbed in Bermudians faces. People, families, businesses hurting. Keep your eye on the prize. OBA has to be successful or get voted out in 5 years. PLP can give you a 6 for 9…..cover their tracks and let the country suffer. OBA has no choice but to help the people! Vote Change!!!
Someone better learn how to fish and grow arrowroot.
One of the problems is that CURB is no longer trusted by many people, especially the white community. The reason is that many (myself included) lost all respect for it when Rolfe took over – it became just another Ewart bludgeoning tool for his and Rolfe’s agenda which is anything but just.
Agreed- I want racial equality but I am not going to sit there and be beaten up because of my skin color. If I didnt want to move towards change, I wouldn’t be there. I have had PLP candidates spit on the ground when I walk by. I pity some of these guys who are so mired in hate they cannot stand themselves.
Rolfe had nothing to do with CURB. He was the consultant to the Premier on race relations and headed up the “Big Conversation”. CURB is a non-governmental organisation of volunteers and does not receive funding from the government.
Vulpes and others I believe you are mistaken Rolfe Commissiong led the Bermuda Race Relations Initiative which was a Government sponsored/endorsed one independent and seaparate from CURB which is a non-partisan non-Governemental body with its own mandate and set of initatives.
You may be confusing it with CURE as well which was a Governmental body looking into race relations on the Island but which no longer exists.
you can see the seperation ,, my job has a dining room, and at lunch all the blacks sit together, an all the whites sit together,,
some whites, if they could walk cross with out speaking, they would,
Man, that sucks. Every job I’ve had, blacks and whites worked, eat lunch, and respected each other. Don’t know what’s going on there. Are the whites there foreigners?
yeah
every job? i find that hard to believe
Every Job. Seriously. Only people that wouldn’t sit with us were some foreigners and people who thought they were better than everybody else, who were both black and white.
So you cross the room and join them, or invite them to sit with you. Maybe they feel you don’t want them! Takes two……..also, maybe you should speak to them. Our guest workers don’t have the benefit of being raised in this country where we supposedly “speak” to each other. Racial integration will continue to exist until we all make an effort- not just the whites.
If anything, I would say that if expats are reluctant to join in, it is more because of the Bermudian/foreigner thing than race. Most of the expats I know come from countries where race just isn’t that much of an issue in their day to day lives. However, in Bermuda, they are reminded time and again that they are “damned foreigners” and often made to feel unwelcome in Bermuda and amongst Bermudians. If you follow many of the discussions in this forum, they are also blamed for most of what goes wrong here – everything from TB outbreaks to the price of bread. (I’m not saying ALL Bermudians or ALL expats – but it’s definitely there).
But I do agree that the effort needs to be made by everyone. Maybe if we can could think in terms of the greater community instead focusing on all of the varieties of “us vs them” that you see here, we might just be able to make Bermuda better for everyone. I sure hope so!
nice comment, thats a thought
Well guess what ? My job has a dining room too and when a white person joins the table you can see ,feel and hear the difference compared to when it’s all their little clique. Visibly unhappy is an understatement. But if one of them joins the ‘white table’ they are made to feel included but still have difficulty relaxing like they do at their ‘own table’.
And don’t talk about whites walking past without speaking , the blacks do it all the time , even more so. And they enjoy showing it too.
But it’s all a white problem , eh ?
I think we all know exactly what ‘Racial Justice’ is supposed to mean, just don’t hold your breath because it’s just a gussied up term for something else that’s never going to happen.
Oh really, where is this?
Wow, so some people have crazy ideas……you honestly think that white people like M Dunkley spend their days conspiring to defeat the black Bermudian population? The man does not need to be in public service, he does it becasue he cares. What did you get fed as a child? There is no conspiracy going on in the OBA. The team members in OBA who are not “white” would have to be idiots if that were the case and they are not. Take some time to talk to Sylvan Richards for example. He is nobody’s puppet he is smart and wants to serve his country.
I dont doubt there is racial desparity and yes we should bring that into the light and deal with it. I support that and so does OBA.
Just listen with an open mind-breathe the fresh air of change.
Funny…if same effort was put into educating the youth….creating jobs….attracting tourist….what!!!!! Lets take back country pride and figure out how to get back on top as number one place to due business…most hospitable…do that and watch the world beat down the door. Thats the CHANGE needed!
Pogo: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
Come on, lets get Bermuda out of reverse gear and at least put it in first gear so we can start moving Bermuda forward to a better future for all.
Racial Justice: The proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable power, opportunities, treatment, impact and outcomes for all.
To Volpes
CURB is often confused with the Bermuda Race Relations Initiative which was held in 2007 and 2008 by the Government and organized by Mr. Commissiong. This was not a CURB initiative. For a long time we were confused with CURE (Commission for Unity & Reconciliation), which was a UBP creation about 12 years ago but was disbanded in 2010 and incorporated into the Human Rights Commission.
We constantly try and get the message out that we are non-governmental, volunteer organization and are non-political. We are all too aware of the distrust so obviously evident in the blogs around any possible political affiliation. We believe that we are managing to create that trust, but it takes time. Noticeably all political parties in a recent debate praised CURB for its efforts in the community raising awareness about race relations issues and its efforts towards reconciliation. All we can do is continue to ensure that when issues around race relations come up we respond appropriately and fairly, keeping our mission in mind.
It was said that just because we have a black premier does mean that blacks have gained respect, power or priveledge. WTF are you talking about??? If there is a black premier that means that she is calling the shots in Government, which means that she holds the power, which means that she earned the respect to be voted into power. The race card is very old and very draining. Yes, we all know that there are white priveledged families and there are also black priveledged families. And we all know that a rich white person from Tucker’s Town is not going to mingle down Court Street, the same way a poor black person from back of town isn’t going to mingle at a posh black tie affair up Fairylands. And it goes vice versa…Its just the way it is…this divide happens in every country all over the world. You can conduct thousand surveys, hold thousand forums, its not going to change. What needs to change is the respect we have for one another, regardless of your zipcode, annual income or someting as simple as which grocery store you shop at.
Define “Racial Justice”. What does it mean? How is it achieved?
80% – Were you able to comprehend the article? 80% of persons want to have conversations to better race relations. And what’s wrong with you? Your sweeping statements about white people, and how a vote for OBA will take people “back” is simply racist and ignorant. My final question – back to what? Zero unemployment? Current account Surplus? Budget surplus instead of a 1.4billion debt? No shootings? An integrated public school system? A viable tourism destination? A place we were all proud of? You know something, I wouldn’t mind going back to that Bermuda – I kind of liked it!!
VOTE OBA
NEVER!!!!!
Then suffer.
We are all equal. Really. Now, was that so hard?
@dthtoo your comments are ignorant selfish and false.
@ 80% your heart and mind is dirty whomever you are ,you are the person breathing racism just look at your own comments.