businesses, Community Affairs Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons warned last night.

And he warned that his Ministry was not standing for "systemic discrimination''.

While most Bermudians had changed their attitudes towards blacks, there were still some businesses in Bermuda that practised institutionalised racism, he claimed.

The Minister called on those companies to start "taking down the walls of systemic discrimination'' by changing their policies and practices.

"We have businesses in our community, and very successful ones I must add, that need to re-examine some of their policies, practices and traditions,'' he said.

"They may have served them well in the past but the social fabric of the community has changed and they need to be updated. The time has now come to upgrade their social and employment policies and improve their status as responsible corporate citizens.'' Mr. Gibbons made the statements during a speech to Sandys Rotary Club. He was outlining the role of his Ministry in bridging the gap between the races and encouraging community pride and respect of individual differences.

He noted the Tumim Report on the Island's criminal justice system had set up various "signposts'' to draw attention to community problems.

One of the highly visible "signposts'' in the report was the issue of institutional racism in Bermuda.

Mr. Gibbons added he supported Judge Tumim's recommendation to establish a race relations division in the Human Rights Commission.

It would be tasked with "combating racism, prejudice and discrimination and promoting social integration and equal opportunity in community life for all residents''.

"We see this as a `signpost' that must be followed,'' he said. Mr. Gibbons said institutional racism was a method of operation -- institutions did not have attitudes.

"Racism was at one time a part of the fabric of the social system of Bermuda,'' he said. "All of us agree to this fact, but what we need to recognise and come to terms with is that as individuals most of us have changed our attitudes.

"The question today is, have the institutions in the community changed their policies, practices and traditional ways of operating? He noted it was "not easy to change a system that is effective in producing a profit for a business''.

"The people who benefit the most ... do not see the need for change. But systems can be discriminatory.

"I am certain that there are white people in Bermuda who can relate to losing job opportunities to another less qualified white person simply because he or she had the "right '' family connections or attended the "right'' school.

"Additionally, I am certian that many women can relate to losing a job opportunity to a less qualified man because traditionally the job has always been done by a man.''