Later today, the Minister of Community Affairs and Sports, the Hon. Lovitta Foggo will participate in the premiere screening of Broadcasting Black, a locally produced film which explores the often overlooked contribution of black media to the success of the 1959 Theatre Boycotts.

Broadcasting Black was the brainchild and creation of Dr. Dana Selassie and it will be screened at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) at 6.00 p.m. today. It will also be shown on the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ YouTube page following its premiere. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs served as a sponsor of the film.

Today Minister Foggo said, “We are extremely pleased to provide a platform to showcase this important work, which helps to shape our national identity. This documentary is an engaging journey into the lives of those who made pivotal changes in Bermuda’s broadcasting landscape and features unreleased interviews by key players in Bermuda’s media industry, such as Bermuda’s first black radio broadcaster, the late Hon. Quinton Edness, the late Hon. C.V Jim Woolridge who was the first black marketing manager for the Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Ira Phillips, who shared his valuable insight and a critical account of what it was like to be a journalist on the front line of the 1959 Theatre Boycotts.

“It also highlights the role that Bermudian businessman Montague Sheppard played in the formation of the first black owned integrated radio and television station, and the challenges that black broadcasters faced by the broadcasting establishment at the time. We are also treated to interviews with current broadcasters and journalists who provide additional commentary on their black experience in radio and television.

“Through extensive archival research, interviews and re-enactments, Broadcasting Black will bring to light the value of black-owned media following the ending of segregation. I am delighted to help launch this groundbreaking documentary which we see as an invaluable addition to Bermuda’s cultural and historical collection.”

• Press release from the Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport