CURB’s Emancipation Cup Match Flag
CURB is encouraging Bermudians to reflect on the history and legacy of Emancipation Day, Mary Prince Day and Cup Match through its Emancipation Cup Match Flag, which symbolises the interconnected stories behind the annual holiday.
A spokesperson said, “As Bermuda prepares for its annual Cup Match holiday, Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda [CURB] is encouraging the community to look beyond the festivities and reconnect with the history, courage and sacrifice at the heart of the occasion.
“CURB’s Emancipation Cup Match Flag was intentionally designed to represent three interconnected parts of Bermuda’s national story: Emancipation Day, Mary Prince Day and Cup Match.
“Bermudians know how to celebrate a holiday. We celebrate through food, music, cricket, camps, family, fellowship and tradition. These are meaningful expressions of who we are. However, while we are very good at celebrating, we do not always take the time to commemorate.
“Celebration asks, ‘How will we enjoy the occasion?’
“Commemoration asks, ‘What happened, who made sacrifices, and what are we being called to remember?’
“Commemoration does not diminish our celebration. It gives our celebration greater meaning.
Emancipation Day: The struggle for freedom
“The first story represented in CURB’s flag is Emancipation Day.
“On August 1, 1834, approximately 4,000 enslaved people in Bermuda gained their legal freedom following the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act. This was a momentous turning point, but Emancipation did not provide compensation, land or meaningful resources to the people whose labour, families and freedom had been taken from them.
“Compensation was instead paid to those who had legally claimed ownership of enslaved people.
“Emancipation also did not immediately create an equal Bermuda. Black Bermudians continued to experience barriers to political participation, education, employment, housing and public life. Racial segregation remained a feature of Bermudian society for more than a century following the abolition of slavery.
“Emancipation Day should therefore commemorate not only the legal ending of slavery, but also the generations of resistance that helped make freedom possible.
“This includes the resistance of Sarah ‘Sally’ Bassett, who was executed in 1730 and has become a national symbol of defiance against enslavement, as well as the many unnamed Black Bermudian men, women and children who escaped, resisted, protected their families and preserved their humanity under extraordinarily oppressive conditions.
“Emancipation ended legal slavery, but it did not complete the work of liberation. Every generation has had to take up the work of making freedom more meaningful and more equally experienced.
Mary Prince Day: The power of voice and testimony
“The second story represented in the flag is Mary Prince Day.
“Born into slavery in Bermuda around 1788, Mary Prince endured separation from her family, repeated sale, brutal treatment and forced labour in Bermuda and elsewhere in the British Caribbean.
“Her account, The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, Related by Herself, was published in London in 1831. It became the first published account by a Black woman who had experienced slavery in the British Caribbean.
“At a time when defenders of slavery attempted to portray the system as civilized or benevolent, Mary Prince provided a firsthand account of its brutality. Her testimony challenged public attitudes and contributed to the movement to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire.
“Mary Prince reminds us of the power of telling our own stories. She did not possess wealth, political office or institutional authority. What she had was her lived experience, her truth and the courage to speak. One Bermudian woman’s voice crossed borders and became part of a movement that transformed history.
“CURB encourages residents to honour Mary Prince by learning and sharing her story, listening to those whose experiences are overlooked and creating space for marginalized voices within contemporary Bermuda.
Cup Match: The community celebration of freedom
“The third story represented in the flag is Cup Match.
“Although Cup Match is now widely associated with cricket, team rivalry, camps and community celebration, its origins are firmly connected to Emancipation.
“Following the abolition of slavery, Black friendly societies and lodges became vital institutions within Bermuda’s Black community. They provided mutual aid, financial assistance, fellowship and community support at a time when many established institutions did not serve Black Bermudians equally.
“Members of friendly societies from Somerset and St. George’s gathered for annual picnics to commemorate Emancipation, with cricket matches becoming part of these gatherings. Funds were eventually raised for a silver cup, which was introduced in 1902 and helped establish the formal Cup Match tradition Bermuda continues today.
“Cup Match was never only about cricket. It was an act of collective memory, a declaration of freedom and an expression of Black community, dignity and cultural survival.
“Our ancestors gathered because freedom deserved to be remembered. They also demonstrated that joy itself could be an act of resistance.
One flag, three interconnected stories
“CURB’s Emancipation Cup Match Flag brings these three stories together:
- Emancipation Day represents the struggle for freedom.
- Mary Prince Day represents the power of voice, truth and testimony.
- Cup Match represents the community’s commemoration and celebration of freedom.
“CURB invites families, churches, schools, camps, businesses and community organizations to use the holiday as an opportunity for both celebration and education.
“We encourage adults to talk with children about why the holiday exists, share the stories of Mary Prince and Sally Bassett, acknowledge the contributions of the friendly societies and learn about the activism that advanced freedom and equality in Bermuda.
“As we display the flag, may we see more than a colourful symbol of the coming holiday. May we see one continuing story of resistance, voice, freedom, community and hope.
“Let us wear our colours, but remember the courage.
“Let us celebrate freedom, but acknowledge the sacrifice.
“Let us enjoy Cup Match, but teach our children why it exists.
“CURB’s Emancipation Cup Match Flags are available in both Somerset and St. George’s colours. Proceeds from flag sales support CURB’s charitable work to advance racial justice, education and healing throughout Bermuda.
“Celebrate the holiday. Commemorate the history. Carry the legacy forward.
“Flags can be purchased at the CURB office, 26 Bermudiana Road, International Building, Suite 205 or by calling 7071496. Car Flags can be purchased at Peoples Pharmacy, Robertson’s Pharmacy and the Bermuda Book Store.”
For extensive coverage of Cup Match spanning over a decade, visit our website BernewsCupMatch.com, the island’s most comprehensive resource on the Cup Match holiday.
- Over 8,000 photos here
- Over 200 videos here
- Over 100 graphics here
- History here
- Dedicated website: BernewsCupMatch.com
