Bermuda’s racial equity campaigners must step away from outdated models to attract white Bermudians, according to Canadian lawyer Kevin Comeau.Mr Comeau told the Hamilton Rotary Club yesterday that many campaigners still use a “black authenticity” construct based around creating strength through black unity.While Mr Comeau said such a strategy was necessary to combat segregation, he argued the model has outlived its usefulness and has now led to blind support based on race rather than action.The result has been that many whites have tainted images of the racial equity movement and no longer want to be involved with the matter.“A racial-equity group that defines itself simply by being black naturally alienates anyone who is white, so it’s understandable that whites have walked away,” Mr Comeau said. “Who wants to be where you’re not wanted?“But the problem for whites is much deeper than that. The ‘black authenticity’ construct requires participating blacks to publicly support other participating blacks no matter what the circumstances.“That may sound honourable, but what if the black participant does something dishonourable? What then?”He said that the black authenticity construct has over the years become a part of Bermuda’s political rhetoric, noting Cabinet Ministers refusing to answer questions and using racial metaphor as a defence.He specifically noted Cabinet Ministers calling questions about Government contracts “plantation questions,” and referring to an Opposition member as a “racist dog.”“Whites, including those in international business, were stunned,” Mr Comeau said.”How was it possible that key black Cabinet Ministers could shield themselves from questions about their own possibly corrupt activities simply by wrapping themselves in cloaks of racial indignation.”More alarming, Mr Comeau said, was that no racial equity advocates spoke out against the incident.“The Bermuda racial equity movement is still based on the archaic ‘black authenticity’ construct, which requires all participating members to protect other participating members no matter what.“So if a high-ranking elected Government official publicly tarnishes the most sacred issue in the black movement for his own selfish purposes, black racial-equity advocates must remain silent.”Mr Comeau described a meeting with a PLP Cabinet member in early 2007 in which he had put forward a proposal to help lower rents on the Island by approaching company’s about changing structured housing allowances.He said the Cabinet member said he loved the idea, but the Government would not be putting the suggestions in place.“When I asked why, he explained that most of the Cabinet Ministers were landlords, so the last thing they wanted was lower rents,” Mr Comeau said.“I literally broke out laughing and asked why he was being so candid. He could have simply told me that he would bring it to Cabinet, and then do nothing.“He then explained that the opposition UBP was a party in disarray and it would be many years, if ever, before they would be re-elected. ‘So,’ he said, ‘We can do whatever we like.’”Under the black authenticity model, Mr Comeau said the Minister’s assessment was correct because blacks who support the racial equity movement would feel duty bound to vote for the PLP.In order to make a real difference in the issue of race equity, Mr Comeau said that all races need to work together, saying race activists need to adopt a moral-based model to encourage white Bermudians to join the effort.He quoted US racial equity advocate Dr Cornel West, saying: “Tribalism is too exclusive to succeed and is more likely to cause division and economic and social collapse. It is the ethical dimension that creates the critical mass needed for a successful social movement.”He said that Dr West and other American race-equity advocates publicly hail President Barack Obama for some policies and criticise him for others.“In other words, their allegiance was to the morality of action in furtherance of their cause and their criticism was targeted at any action or inaction that undermined their cause,” he said.“It made no difference if the person receiving the accolades or criticism was black or white, or even a close friend. They simply judged the morality by the particular action in question.”He called for members of the white community to get involved with the issue of race equity, urging them to contact Citizen’s Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) to get a fuller picture of the challenges facing the Island.He also asked them to rejoin the conversation and support programmes aimed at tackling the issue.Responding to Mr Comeau’s speech, PLP spokesman Curtis Williams said: “It’s shocking and sad that Mr Kevin Comeau would take what was a thoughtful commentary and fill it with rumours and innuendo. He knows that the PLP stood strong for Bermudians by building a record number of new affordable housing units. He also knows that it’s the PLP that stood up for renters by introducing geared to income housing.“When they were introduced, all of these affordable housing initiatives were attacked by the opposition. These projects made rents affordable for Bermudian families, and, yet, they were opposed by an opposition whose members have yet to tell Bermudians where they stand on all of the important issues.“It is quite dishonourable to make serious allegations about an unnamed individual without offering a shred of proof. But, while they get into the gutter filled with rumour and innuendo, we’re surely and steadily delivering real results on affordable housing with projects like Harbour View Village, Butterfield Lane, Perimeter Lane, Loughlands, and Grand Atlantic. While others spread rumours to gain political advantage, we are standing strong for Bermudians by championing geared-to-income housing.”Mr Comeau said that later this week, this newspaper will publish several suggested programmes that he believes will help to tackle the issue by supporting families and education, such as a new scholarship programme intended to encourage parents to be more involved with their children’s education.