Bermuda cannot make any resolute strides toward Independence until real attempts are made to achieve racial equality, a speaker said yesterday.

And as an absolute minimum, Independence seekers must be prepared to demand "one man, one vote of equal value''.

That was the thrust of Dr. Eva Hodgson's hour-long address to 294 people during a Progressive Labour Party forum at the St. Paul's Centennial Hall.

Dr. Hodgson said that many Bermudians were guilty of believing that they had a comparably brutal experience with colonialism as had many African nations.

"Bermuda did not even have a small population of indigenous people thus there was no bloodshed in the process of settlement as there was in many parts of Africa,'' she explained.

"Our historical and racial links with Africa (are) no excuse for pretending that we have experienced the same level of bloodshed, broken treaties, brutality and humiliation in the process of colonisation as did many African colonies.'' As a consequence of this mistaken belief, she added, Bermudians have evaded taking any responsibility for the humiliations they actually face, which in many instances has little if anything to do with colonialism.

An example she said, was the quickness of some Bermudians to identify with Independence struggles internationally, instead of struggling against their lack of internal independence and self-determination that racism causes.

Dr. Hodgson warned Bermudians that the evil they should be fighting against was racism.

"The people who talk to me about their circumstances and are frightened silly about making it public, are afraid not of some colonial administrator, not even the Governor. They are afraid of our local Government. Great Britain has nothing to do with it.'' Dr. Hodgson said she was in partial agreement with anti-Independence campaigner Mrs. Joyce Hall that Bermuda has not suffered "an oppressive imperialism''.

Nor was it was likely "in these dying days of colonialism'' that Bermudians would face such oppression today.

However, Dr. Hodgson said that unlike Mrs. Hall's ancestors who were willing and voluntary British settlers, her own ancestors were "unwilling and involuntary African slaves''.

This legacy, she added, meant that the real enemy and source of oppression for those of African descent in Bermuda is racism.

Accordingly, the challenge of Independence was more than the "mere exchange of flags''.

"Independence is about nation-building and internal relationships,'' she said. "...You cannot vote yes (at the referendum). If there were no other reason it would be because most of you have not even thought about these relationships. All some folks have thought about is going to Barbados and flying their own flag.

"International independence or nation building, is about a great deal more than that.''