The Royal Gazette February 24, 1951 pg 16 [the back page]

Picket Line Protest

A picket line paraded outside the office of Watlington and Conyers yesterday afternoon in protest against alleged racial discrimination by the Bermudiana Theatre Club.

The pickets said the refusal of the club to sell tickets to Negroes and its willingness to dispose of them indiscriminately to tourists proved that it was not a bona fide club.

"This is the first case of out-right racial discrimination in a Bermuda theatre," said Mr. H. G. Hill, one of the pickets.

Members of the New Theatre Guild, the recently formed company which produced "Anna Lucasta" a few weeks ago, the eight pickets took turns in carrying four placards.

In blue and red lettering, the placards read: "Bigoted tourists buy Bermudiana theatre tickets here - tickets for whites only on sale here:; "Keep Bunche out of Bermudiana at all costs - actors escape actors' equity"; "This is what the tourists want? - No Negroes admitted"; "Be bigoted in biased Bermuda - culture not for coloured Bermudians."

Forming at 2.45pm, the picket line paraded for about an hour as tourists passed into the office of Watlington and Conyers where tickets are on sale.

Then Mr. Hill called the picket in. "I am satisfied," he said. "We have made our point, which was to demonstrate to the American visitors what is going on."

He told a Royal Gazette reporter that they would picket the office again today. "We shall carry on until the status quo is ended," he said. "I suppose that will mean that the Bermudiana Theatre Club will alter their advertising, which is an absolute misrepresentation."

Mr. Hill said that many of the actors taking part in the Bermudiana productions were members of the American Actors' Equity, an organisation opposed to discrimination of that kind. He intended to send a report to the organisation.

Although picketing was alien to Bermuda the group considered it was the best way of making their point. They wanted to show the American theatre-goer that such segregation was practised in Bermuda.

A policeman patrolling Front Street did not order the pickets to move on, but they voluntarily dispersed after about an house with a promise "We'll be back."

As they laid down their placards Mr. Fred Barnes, Mr. E. M. Perinchief, Miss Eva Robinson and Mr. Oliver Curtis said several tourists had questioned them. They said the tourists were "surprised".

Mrs. Hill, who also did duty with a placard, said that they had approached Mr. William Miles, director of the theatre, who had also refused to accept responsibility.

"There is a lot of buck-passing going on," she said.