TOURISM & Telecommunications Minister Ren?e Webb's recent comments concerning Government's obligation to fast-track black and female empowerment may have offended Bermuda's racial sensibilities.

Her remarks seem to have produced outrage in certain quarters, especially as they pertained to the feelings of whites unable to understand (or, more likely, unused to hearing) about a black concern put forward so forcefully by a Cabinet Minister.

However, what could be gleaned from the speech given by the Premier in defence of her Minister's comments is that there is no polite language that can be used to describe a problem full of racial connotations that has existed for far too long.

The remedy for this state of affairs is going to be no less uncomfortable for many people, in particular white people, who while they may not express their feelings openly (except perhaps in the anonymity of a corporate organisation) may nevertheless feel threatened at the idea that Bermuda now has a Government that is prepared to do more than pay lip-service to reducing the gap between white and black incomes in this country.

Bermuda is not alone in facing the problem of black/white economic disparities. From Bermuda to America to Brazil, to use just three examples, blacks will invariably be found to be lagging behind when it comes to economic development or, more importantly, when it comes to controlling significant areas of the economies in the countries in which they live (interestingly this situation exists whether or not they form the majority or minority in the said countries).

This state of affairs is not divinely ordained. Nor is it the result of a lack of enthusiasm among blacks, lack of initiative or the absence of the spark of entrepreneurship.

The historical record speaks loud and clear. This situation is the result of slavery and the legacy of racial segregation - a monument to the failed attempt to graft black people into white society, otherwise called integration.

Judging by recent statements made by United Bermuda Party politicians in the wake of Premier Jennifer Smith's speech on this emotive issue, it is clear that the Opposition is going to have real problems in dealing with this issue. UBP party spokesman MP Jamahl Simmons is quoted as saying that his UBP will set up a process if it regains the Government which will clearly show what steps companies must take to be awarded Government contracts.

This statement was taken from his party's political manifesto, recently released. However, I would argue it was never a question of not understanding the processes to get Government contracts. From the perspective of black Bermudians, many of whom found themselves disproportionately locked out of economic opportunity when it came to Government contracts under former UBP administrations, it was a question of accessibility to those contracts.

It is significant that it took the UBP 34 years - 30 as the Government of the day and four years as Opposition - before a leader of that party acknowledged this situation. Recently Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons said "that economic parity does not exist between blacks and whites in Bermuda and Government must take action to address the imbalance".

This underscores the fact that it required political defeat before the UBP would address this issue. And now it would seem that the Opposition, as the Premier said, is speaking out of both sides of its mouth in criticising what the PLP Government is prepared to do to address the very same imbalance.

Jamahl Simmons is further quoted as saying with respect to the issue of economic parity between blacks and whites that in a sense blacks were allowed true freedom only in 1968, when they got a free vote for the first time in this country's history under Universal Adult Suffrage and therefore change could not occur overnight.

Mr. Simmons, of course, is a young man and was not born in 1968. But speaking as someone who came of age during that period, it could also be said that black Bermudians were only given the right to enter the race for mainstream economic development in 1968, long after the white community had begun the race.

But even so, for 30 years after being allowed this supposed freedom to compete the black Bermudian's progress was subject to delays and disadvantages put in his way, some based on race.

Is it any wonder that the gap between blacks and whites has become so large? Can it be bridged even if at this time we adopt some form of affirmative action to address this situation?

For black people it is a question of economic survival that the playing field in which the game of economic development takes place must be at least level. Of course, I am not talking about the economic success stories that do exist.

Sir John Swan and other black exceptions to the negative realities which I have discussed do exist. No, what I am talking about is the overall picture on this debate on economic parity between blacks and whites in this country.

This is something that we are all aware of. But as a country we have never faced its ramifications and, more importantly, what should be done about it. Ironically, there are some blacks who are confused about this issue. They may enjoy some of that relative wealth which I freely acknowledge is enjoyed by some blacks in this country. But a great many more (and I suspect that is the great majority) have confused Bermuda's standard of living - the shopping spree trips in America and the expensive cars and boats - with the real issue and have bought into the general opinion that Bermuda is one of the richest countries in the world. They are mistaking an advanced state of consumerism with economic power.

It is ownership of the economy which is the real indicator of who owns what.