New Course: “Understanding Modern Bermuda”

June 12, 2014

Former Bermuda College lecturer and Member of Parliament Walton Brown today announced a new college-level course offering entitled “Understanding Modern Bermuda”.

This 14 week course covers Bermuda from its settlement to the present and focuses on understanding the critical factors and issues that shape Bermuda today. The course is currently under consideration by Bermuda College for college credit.

Mr. Brown noted, “This is an exciting new course, will get me back in front of students for the first time in 14 years and will build on a lecture series I gave over a year ago.

“There is need for a critical assessment of Bermuda – its past and present—and this course will provide that. This is in part a response to numerous queries for more to be taught about Bermuda.”

The course consists of one 3 hour lecture/seminar weekly; qualifying students are eligible to take the course as a reading course. It commences 24 June 2014.

  • 1. Bermuda as a Settler Colony (1 week)
  • 2. From Slavery to Emancipation (1 week)
  • 3. Development of Trade Unionism (1 week)
  • 4. Struggle for Racial Desegregation (1 week)
  • 5. Universal Suffrage and the Rise of Party Politics (1 week)
  • 6. 1977: Rebellion and Nascent Nationalism (1 week)
  • 7. The 1981 General Strike (1 week)
  • 8. From Tourism to International Business (1 week)
  • 9. Ideology and Party Politics (2 weeks)
  • 10. Immigration, the Economy and Social Change (1 week)
  • 11. Race and Modern Bermuda (1 week)
  • 12. Bermuda, the UK and Self-Determination (2 weeks)

Walton Brown holds a BA (Hons) degree in political studies from Queen’s University (1982) and a MA degree in political science from York University (1984), both in Canada. He taught politics at York University (1985-88) and politics and history at Bermuda College (1988-2000).

Mr Brown was an expert advisor to the UN Decolonisation Committee (1990-2005), member of the Bermuda Senate (2007-2010) and currently serves as a Member of the Bermuda Parliament.

Between 2009 and 2011 he was an advisor to the Bermuda Government on European Union affairs and lobbied the EU for inclusion of Bermuda and other British Overseas Territories on the list of countries that have visa-free access to the Schengen member states.

Mr Brown has published a number of articles in scholarly journals and mainstream media; presented numerous papers at conferences in North America, Europe, and the Caribbean; and is the author of Bermuda and the Struggle for Reform: Race, Politics and Ideology, 1944-1998, winner of the 2013 Bermuda Literary Award for Non-fiction.

Please email info@researchmix.com for registration details.

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Category: All, History, News

Comments (25)

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  1. Hmmm says:

    Sounds like Brain washing to me.

    Critical assesment = biased interpretation.

    • Steve Biko says:

      Don”t forget your History and know your Destiny, for in the abundance of water the FOOL is thirsty, RAT RACE
      Bob Marley
      I know the History of European evil bestowed on Aboriginal Natives and Africans around the world is embarrassing but that’s just the way it is, you benefitted from it and still benefitting and were still trying to cope with it so sit back and relax !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Joonya says:

    PLP 101.. really?

  3. North rock says:

    College credit ???????????? No doubt he’s got a bunch of affidavits from people who’ve told him that this is essential Bermuda History ??

    I agree. PLP 101 !!

  4. ctrl says:

    I would think about taking such a course but the syllabus does seem quite skewed towards certain issues, perhaps at the expense of others. The syllabus indicates through its focus (11 of the 14 weeks being social matters) and words like “self-determination” that students shouldn’t expect a neutral and balanced view of the subject matter.

  5. Gun Slinger says:

    That’s going to help someone get a job in the real world?

  6. Starting Point says:

    Any chance to listen and learn, even when you do not always agree will help a person communicate and debate issues. Hopefully people take advantage of the opportunity.

  7. Terry says:

    Agree with both prior posts.

    Operation “Pressure Cooker” just got turned up.

    Can’t wait to see what week#6 will bring.
    Shalom.

  8. Sigh says:

    Nobody is forcing anyone to do it soooooo if you aren’t interested then simply don’t participate in it. The end

  9. Muhammad Goldberg says:

    will ganja tea be served during recess??

  10. swing voter says:

    This lecture is not for everyone. Its for ppl who want to understand why ‘we’ are the way we are, our past, and our present state of being. History affects everyone differently. Don’t expect Hmmmm and Joonya to understand…..

    • Anon says:

      A yes it’s for REAL Bermudians right? When are people going to stop thinking of/teaching that Bermuda is made up of we and they instead of us? That’s a course I’d like to sign up for. Bermuda; it’s future and uniting all it’s people

    • Allspice says:

      I think the complaint is that you can expect little in the way of objective thinking or indeed observation.
      The “critical assessment of Bermuda” he offers is actually old and worn. Perhaps we can loo at Bermuda as a divided society that he and all of his honorable colleagues in the house and senate have helped to create.

      If we are the builders of our failure as a society, these people are the architects. Come hear the hallowed words of our demise.

    • Joonya says:

      I come from a family of blue collar workers and farmers and have never been in a position of priveldge, and I think I have a basic understanding of points 1 thru 12. I also understand the value of self determination and I wait for no one to shape my life the way I want it. So why dont you go Swing yourself right off a cliff.

    • Anon says:

      Then why should all our taxes pay for this if it’s a course for the PLP only? Not fair, is it?

    • LOL (Original TM*) says:

      So these classes arent for everyone in Bermuda black and white after all we are all Bermudian right?

      LOL

  11. CommonSensenBda says:

    Yeah, there won’t be ANY moves by a PLP member to paint his Party as being “Supremely Benevolent” and all other parties as SATANIC and harmful to Bermuda and her people. None at!

  12. Red eye says:

    If u go or have gone public school u get the same stuff no need to make it a college credential. It’s called brainwashed education! PLP 101 for sure!

  13. Chaos Theory says:

    “Understanding Modern Bermuda from the PLP perspective” would perhaps be a better title.

  14. MD says:

    It’s sad that some of “us” would not want the remainder of “us” to know out history and possibly why all of “us” continue to view “us” in specific ways. Anyone against teaching our people our history is a fraud fake and prolly a racist who only wants our youth to assume that all racists died centuries ago. Some of us truly are sick.

  15. College grad says:

    More propaganda from the Ganga tea party!

  16. Onion says:

    Since Walton knows nothing about economics (or if he does chooses not to use it) this course is a total waste of time.

    Some of the things he says are so astoundingly wrong that it’s hard to know where to start.

  17. FIDEL/Lenin says:

    Of course it will be a totally UN BIASED and POLITICS ? RACE free lecture series? Is it being done for free or is there a stipend for each lecture?

  18. Cleancut says:

    To qualify for the course you will need the following;

    1. Voter registration card.
    2. A green shirt.

  19. JUNK YARD DOG says:

    There are those who walk amongst us who would seek to destroy the very fabric of our being.