A top US journalist and civil rights activist has suggested annual check-ups on Bermuda may rid the Island of its racial problems.

Dr. Chuck Stone, a professor at the University of North Carolina and former US White House correspondent, yesterday told those at a Commission for Unity and Racial Equality breakfast meeting that Bermuda had the opportunity to become a paragon of diversity since it was becoming a multi-racial society.

But the National Association of Black Journalists founding president said before the Island reached that level, Bermuda still had to come to terms with the black-white issue.

"Bermuda has yet to resolve the strains of black-white tension,'' Dr. Stone said. "And you are confronted with an additional aspect, 300 Filipinos.

"You are becoming a multi-racial society. I would like to see Bermuda beat the US in becoming the world's first multi-racial society.'' Dr. Stone said an annual survey on the state of the races would identify the Island's racial composition, what was going on in the work force, and indicate where progress was being made.

"You should also do an annual self-assessment survey of Bermudians,'' he added, "to find out what Bermudians think about themselves and others.'' Dr. Stone suggested CURE could conduct the random sample survey or pay someone to do it.

He also said Government could do a survey for as little as $10,000.

Dr. Stone observed Bermuda had an open society and had no legal segregation, but was segregated socially and at work, with black Bermudians unable to rise to the top of the corporate pyramid.

He noted that while black people did not have a problem getting jobs in Bermuda -- they did face obstacles moving up the ladder.

"You can do what we did in America with the civil rights movement, the women's movement and the gay rights movement -- you've got to go out and move things,'' Dr. Stone stressed.

"The only way to change society is to mobilise and take steps.'' Dr. Stone said individual Bermudians could also change the Island for the better by refusing to tolerate racism or racist comments.

"You must be a living ambassador of diversity -- look at the patterns of institutional racism,'' he said.

"If you do nothing it will survive and it will go on unchallenged. It's amazing what 1,000 individuals can do on their own -- there is so much goodwill here.'' Using humour, tales and Aretha Franklin's famous tune "Respect'', Dr. Stone told the politicians, business people, and media at the meeting there were three cures for racial conflict -- respect, responsibility and richness of diversity.

"If each one of us takes responsibility, we can make a difference,'' he stressed.

He also emphasised that just changing laws did not change attitudes.

"A Supreme Court ruling or the passage of a law doesn't change things,'' he said. "Over the years change has come slowly. And despite advances in sports, politics and entertainment, racial segregation still dominates everyday life.'' Dr. Stone suggested establishing an award for those that promote a multi-racial society on all levels.

And he recommended a school contest where students could write about what it meant to be a Bermudian.

Dr. Chuck Stone CONFERENCE CON