An educator who dedicated more than three decades to the teaching profession was at Paget Primary School yesterday when the school held its annual Black History Month exhibition.

Dean Furbert, a former Chief Education Officer, was featured at the event, which started on Wednesday.

The event, in which classrooms were converted into museums featuring outstanding Bermudians, provided pupils and visitors with an opportunity to learn about and honour Black trailblazers.

Sonia Raynor, the principal of the school, said the event has grown over the years and many people, including members of the community, looked forward to it each February.

Now in its seventh year, she said the event featured Bermudians who contributed “positively to our island”.

The event was the culmination of a month of activities that included field trips, interviews with the people featured and classroom preparations, which involved both students and teachers.

Each classroom selected a distinguished individual to highlight, and students actively researched and prepared exhibits to showcase their contributions.

Ms Raynor said family members of the people featured visited and took part in the event, which started with an opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, was among the guests who visited the event yesterday.

Ms Raynor said: “The Governor was very impressed and he spoke to the children and we are thankful that he recognised the importance of what we are doing and he even spent time with us.”

She added: “It’s good for children to experience this event and to know that the sky is the limit in terms of knowing who they are and where they want to go.

“The sky is the limit to become a wonderful citizen and a great person.

“I just saw a community member out there visiting and he just wanted to come and see and celebrate.

“Some of the community members also remember some of the people when they see them featured.”

Mr Furbert said he was happy to share his experiences and knowledge with the pupils and visitors.

He said he willingly accepted an invitation from the P3 students to attend the event.

He added: “I thought this was an ideal opportunity to join in the programme to help Bermudians to know who the people are and educate them about the community.”

During his career, Mr Furbert, who is also a pastor, served as principal of Francis Patton Primary School and Dellwood Middle School.

After entertaining pupils and visitors with some music, he said that during his time in the education system, he always showed love for the teaching profession.

“I still love education, and in addition to that, music is one of my loves. I still play the piano and teach students, so teaching has always been a fun profession.”

Dame Marjorie Bean, an educator who achieved a number of personal firsts during her career, was featured at the event.

She was made Bermuda’s Supervisor of Schools in 1948, becoming the first Black person hired by the Department of Education in an administrative position.

In 1977, she was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and was later appointed an MBE for the significant contribution she made to education.

In 1980, she became the first Bermudian woman to be appointed to the Legislative Council, the forerunner of Bermuda’s Senate.

The P6 pupils featured Reginald Toby Dillas who was a leading figure in the island’s hotel and tourism industry.

The late Mr Dillas was credited with mentoring many Bermudians in the hospitality industry and was one of the first locals to head the iconic Bermudiana Hotel in Hamilton, where he served as an assistant manager.

The event also paid tribute to Bermudian author Florenz Webbe Maxwell, whose book Girlcott was listed in 2021 as a “must-read” in Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine.

Girlcott was also awarded second place in the 2016 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature.

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