From what I understand he has not had an easy few years of it. For all that he seems to have dealt with the last decades gracefully and without the same resentment and defensiveness of many successors.

Maybe we can take some solace and comfort in that.

I am well aware that when some people look at me they assume that I was handed things because of my skin colour, without stopping to think that they themselves are perpetuating a false perception.

Yes, no doubt, some people have benefitted from white privilege, but not all of people who are perceived as ‘white’ have. Not even most of us.

I know that when some people look at me, they see white, they see privileged, they see someone who was handed property and business and whatever else they themselves did not receive, or, strangely enough, what they themselves received.

The reality, if they stopped to know me and find out, is that I’m mixed race. That part of my family is black, part of it was perceived as black, and part of it turned their back on those who weren’t willing to tolerate relatives who judged on skin colour.

They’d find out that I was handed nothing. No property, no business, no inheritance, and certainly no expectation of ever having those things. The greatest gift from my parents, in fact, from their parents and their parents’ parents was a work ethic and the belief that everyone is equal.

And you know in hindsight, maybe because of that they did gift me, I am privileged.

Go figure.

My generation owes you so much we could never ever repay you and others who stood up against oppression for decades.

United We Stand

Our charity received also a generous donation from the late David Barber and he always shared how he came to Bermuda with very very little money; if memory serves me right it may of been less than $17. He was rightfully generous to Bermuda because as he stated “Bermuda was were I made my money” – there’s a book out there by Nigel Kermode about David’s life.

Historically speaking the BIU did incredible things. They were a powerful force in the progression of working standards and benefits for workers, both union members and those who were not, and for those things I believe Mr Simmons and others involved should be remembered and commended.

However, there was a point in the history of the BIU where things changed. Whether power went to their heads or what, I don’t know, but the union, from my perspective and experience, stopped being about supporting and forwarding workers’ rights, and became about politics, power and money for those in high positions and anyone who disagreed was seen as an enemy, including those within the union.

I truly doubt that I’m the only one who remembers things that went on in the 80s…and I don’t mean the ones that were voiced publicly.

It was during that time that I lost the respect I had for the BIU and it’s leadership and, regrettably, since then, while the militant nature of the union seems to have mellowed in action, if not in voice, I’ve seen nothing to engender a return that that earlier respect that I had.

I do continue to hope that one day the BIU and the other local unions will recognise that the majority of unions worldwide have changed from the militant voice still shown here on the island, and are more about working with the governments, business owners and managements, and that this method is far more effective at this particular time in history.

And yet you come here hiding behind a pen name “Huh”.

Oh the irony.

Shalom.

I’ve not only said this for a long time but have seen it in action many times over the years.

The happy , but phony laughter and niceness , and as soon as you turn your back and walk away they mutter under their breath .
‘Get out of my country —– — ‘

You fill in the blanks .

Note how she wrote of the so called “…good old days”circa 1955. She also fails to acknowledge that Ottie and many others entered politics or supported the black dominated labour and political movements because of the blatant racism of Bermuda’s powerful white minority and their staunch resistance to doing the right thing, when it came to issues of civil, economic and racial justice in Bermuda.

I guess individuals with their pronounced defense of white identity and privilege which has been on display here of late, will seek to tell us once again that the sky is yellow instead of blue with regard to this issue as well.

Organized Labour is a good thing – positive in that it provides a forum where workers can determine what is in their best interests outside of the management case. Quite often on issues of efficiency and customer service, it is the pool of workers that can tell you all you need to know, when they feel empowered. I think Unions work best when they work in tandem with management, shareholders and customers.

Organized Labour, however, has a unique voice and for sure, Ottiwell Simmons played his part in having it heard.

I will abstain from making personal attacks against him but things that transpired from the 60′s to the 80′s are well documented.
There were a few in his corner who were well lets say more radical.

Shalom.