Hashtag: #BermudaBlackHistory
The Dual Legacies Of Denmark Vesey
Ground was broken last year for a South Carolina monument commemorating the former slave of a Bermuda sea captain accused of organising the largest slave revolt in American history — but uncertainty continues to cloud the true legacy of Denmark Vesey. The memorial, designed by celebrated American sculptor Ed Dwight, will stand in Charleston’s... Read more of this article
Freed Slaves’ Craving For Education
Newly emancipated blacks in Bermuda were so anxious for education — and so proficient at learning — the American Methodist Church considered establishing a school on the island to train Bermudians and US free men of colour to teach former slaves in the West Indies. Slaves were freed in all British territories — including Bermuda —... Read more of this article
Gombey Documentary Special Edition
Christmas is fast approaching — which means the staccato rhythms of Bermuda’s Gombeys can’t be far behind. One of Bermuda’s oldest but most vibrant folk traditions, a special edition version of the landmark 2008 Gombey documentary “Behind The Mask” with added features and subtitles is now available just in time for the... Read more of this article
Death Or Glory: Bermuda Civil War Hero
A Bermuda soldier who fought against the Confederacy in the American Civil War would probably have been one of the first black recipients of the US Medal of Honor had he not succumbed to his wounds following the pivotal Battle of Fort Wagner. As America marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s outbreak this year, the heroism of black Bermudian... Read more of this article
Celebrating Bermuda’s Cultural Identity
After decades of neglecting the island’s heritage as part of its hospitality product, Bermuda is belatedly — and aggressively — promoting cultural tourism one of the Government Cultural officers told a recent international conference. In her presentation entitled “In the Heads of Our People: Tradition-Bearers and Cultural Tourism”,... Read more of this article
Enduring Legacy Of Bermuda’s Mary Prince
Published exactly 180 years ago, Bermuda slave Mary Prince’s narrative of her life of servitude on the island and in the Caribbean has lost none of its power to shock. Or to inspire understanding and reconciliation among peoples. For Mary Prince’s first-hand account of the atrocities of slavery was not just intended as an indictment of... Read more of this article
Backing For Bermudian’s War Grave Call
On this Remembrance Day weekend, Bermuda National Museum director Dr. Edward Harris urged locals to spare a thought for William Edmund Smith — the first Bermudian casualty of World War One [1914-1918]. The Somerset man — who had worked at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Sandys Parish — left Bermuda to go to sea in 1912. He was serving... Read more of this article
St. Paul’s AME Remembrance Sunday Service
During their regular Sunday morning service today [Nov.6], St Paul’s AME congregation held a special service of dedication. The particular dedication and blessing was of two flags, one remembering the Bermuda Militia Artillery [1897 -1965], and the other the Bermuda Militia Infantry [1942-1946]. Both units consisted of black Bermudians who, until... Read more of this article
St. Paul’s AME Remembrance Day Service
St. Paul AME Church in Hamilton will mark its Remembrance Sunday this Sunday [Nov. 6] at the 10:55am service and war veterans and their families are invited to attend the service which will recognise their sacrifice in the name of freedom. “We want the community to join us in saluting these men and women of courage and determination whose struggle... Read more of this article
Bermuda Dialect College Workshop
What you sayin’? A Bermudian linguistics student wants to know. Britanni Fubler, recently graduated from the University of Toronto with her Bachelors in Linguistics and Portuguese, will be holding a seminar on the unique Bermudian dialect at the Bermuda College on November 3 from 6.30-8.30 p.m. Entitled “How You Hanlin’ Me?”,... Read more of this article
Sir John Speaks About Historic US School
Former Bermuda Premier Sir John is among the notable alumni interviewed in a forthcoming documentary on the history of his trailblazing American preparatory school. Laurinburg Institute is a traditionally black prep school in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1904 at the request of African-American educator and politician Booker... Read more of this article
Dr. Swan Addresses Statue Controversy
In 2009, as part of celebrations commemorating Bermuda’s four hundred year anniversary, Bermuda’s Government memorialized the historic struggle of blacks against slavery by erecting a statue of Sally Bassett on the lawn of the Cabinet Office. Bassett was an enslaved Black woman who was burned alive at the stake in 1730 for allegedly poisoning... Read more of this article
