A gathering will commemorate two important historical events at the Bermuda College this evening.

The free celebration, themed “It all comes down to love”, will honour 78 enslaved people on board the Enterprise, who were offered freedom on the island 190 years ago, and human rights advocate Malcolm X, who was assassinated in 1965.

The Enterprise was sailing between Virginia and South Carolina but took shelter in Hamilton Harbour during a storm on February 11, 1835.

The enslaved people were granted emancipation after a hearing in Hamilton eight days later — all but six accepted their freedom.

Glenn Fubler, of Imagine Bermuda, explained: “[Bermudians] who had just been enslaved six months before came out.

“They did not just stay in their lane, they recognised that they were always learning and interacted with the legal fraternities, who were White people who were never enslaved, but they helped and assisted that process of collaboration.”

Maxine Esdaille, of the African Diaspora Trail Foundation, said: “There are still people whose families in Bermuda are connected to the Enterprise in terms of being descendants of those who were there.”

This evening’s gathering will also celebrate activist Malcolm X, who was shot dead in New York City 60 years ago today.

Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam while in prison but later left the group and cofounded the Organisation for Afro-American Unity.

Mr Fubler said that people were still inspired by Malcolm X’s journey from prisoner to revered icon.

He explained: “We have a number of young people who feel alienated by society. We see examples not only with Malcolm X, but people in Bermuda, who were on the wrong side of the tracks but have been transformed by the fact that we are part of this one human family.”

The event will open with Rajai Denbrook performing a dramatic re-enactment of the Enterprise story.

Mr Denbrook will then lead an open dialogue with puisne judge Juan Wolffe and Marcelo Ramella, director of financial stability at the Bermuda Monetary Authority and visiting fellow from London School of Economics.

Entertainers such as Gene Steede, Mitchelle “Arijahknow Live Wires” Trott and Rickeesha Binns will perform during the gathering, which will take place in the student centre from 6pm to 8pm.

Mr Fubler said: “This event is not a Black event, it’s an event about Bermuda in which Black and White people interacted in a very meaningful way to help transform not only Bermuda, but had implications globally.”