May 2, 2011Dear Sir,On Sunday (May 1) MP Dale Butler made reference to the black Institutions which were once the mainstay of black Bermudian’s culture and values and which gave hope and comfort in the days of greatest oppression and economic exclusion and which contributed to the spiritual and social development of those in the black community. One of those institutions was certainly represented by the numerous segregated (often flawed) black Christian churches. They were sufficiently important, significant and influential that even those who did not attend Church nor profess to be Christian, nevertheless respected both the Church and those who attended. The significance of Biblical Christianity for blacks, generally, began during slavery, thus we see its influence in their Spirituals. e.g “Go Down Moses”. Education and educators were another important influence at a time when access to education was both limited and expensive. My own educational model was Dr Marjorie Bean who both motivated and inspired her black students by reminding them that they had to be excellent and superior to others in their endeavours because racism always ensured that they would face limited opportunity and they were likely to be demeaned with obstacles placed in their way. She did not talk about slavery because we all knew that we were living with overt racism which was the result of slavery.Then there were the Lodges which united many in the black Community and gave them a sense of responsibility for each other in the face of overt racism and economic exploitation. Then there were the Movements; The Progressive Group and the Committee for Universal Franchise both of which united a black community in getting rid of the demeaning policies that racism had imposed since 1834. The leadership of both was flexible and more concerned about addressing the issues of, and uniting, a sometime divided black community rather than acquiring status, privilege and special recognition. Their concern was to dismantle the long term Impact of slavery and its aftermath, and the black community was, at least, united in their fundamental values and in their common desire to achieve justice for all. That was then.EVA N HODGSONHamilton Parish