Column: Anniversary Of 1959 Theatre Boycott
[Column written by Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda]
15th June 2022 is the 63rd anniversary of the Bermuda Theatre Boycott, and through the courage of a group of young people calling themselves The Progressive Group, all theatres were forced to close due to the boycott protests and lack of revenue.
As a result of this extraordinary grassroot activism, 2nd July 1959 saw movie theatres across Bermuda open with integrated seating after 118 years of post-emancipation segregation.
That symbolic moment in Bermuda’s history heralded the beginning of desegregation. However, changing hearts and minds did not happen overnight.
Prejudice, discrimination and racial bias continued to manifest in the colony in a multitude of areas from church seating to job advertisements for “whites only” appearing in the newspaper well into the early 1960s. Even when the practice of such ads stopped, it did not stop the ongoing discriminatory hiring practices that ensued for decades.
Discrimination continued in the restaurants, with the government eventually being forced to pass in 1962 a law making it illegal for restaurants to deny service to Blacks.
No blanket laws outlawing racial discrimination were passed, instead a painfully slow process of examining all Bermudian legislation began, lasting 12 years, culminating with the passing of the 1971 Act desegregating the primary schools.
It is the 1971 act desegregating schools that CURB has viewed as being the end of 137 years of segregation. However, it was not until 1981, with the passing of the Human Rights Act, that there were any real legislative teeth to stop discriminatory practices. As such, it could be said this date more accurately delineates the end of segregation and the beginning of ‘freedom’ – a mere 41 years ago.
As we remember and honour the heroes of the Progressive Group, let us not forget that the fight for equity and equality continues, and we call on all Bermuda residents to do their part in bringing about racial justice and equity to our society.
How about having a go at the PLP for rising cost of living, the few in the black community seem to prosper while the many do not 20 years of PLP and increasing poverty is all they have delivered. Equality is a buzz word throw about for political gain. How many women in prominent positions in the PLP today?