An antiracism charity will honour the life and legacy of activist Eva Hodgson through a banquet and awards ceremony.

Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda will host the first Dr Eva Naomi Hodgson Racial Justice Awards Ceremony under the theme “Black and Gold”.

The ceremony will feature speeches and storytelling, a silent auction and raffle, live entertainment and a banquet.

It will culminate in the Racial Justice Awards for trailblazers who continue to make an impact towards equality.

Stacey-Lee Williams, the executive director for Curb, said: “In Dr Hodgson’s name, and honouring her legacy as a trailblazer, historian and activist, Curb is thrilled to recognise and celebrate individuals, organisations and initiatives in Bermuda that are active in this important antiracism work.

“The awards will span a diverse cross-section of our community — all of whom have been impactful in their mission and work involving racial education, history, advocacy, empowerment and healing in Bermuda.”

The late Dr Hodgson was known for her work desegregating Bermuda throughout the 20th century and into the new millennium.

She developed a strong sense of racial injustice in Bermuda after living in Canada and Britain, which were relatively less segregated at the time.

She frequently shared opinion pieces in publications on the need to desegregate the island and offer Black Bermudians the right to vote.

Her actions shaped the conversation around race in the country and eventually led to the founding of the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality in the 1990s, which later fell into the Human Rights Commission.

As a teacher and a unionist, she served as the president of the Bermuda Union of Teachers and, later, the first president of the desegregated Amalgamated Bermuda Union of Teachers.

She also wrote four books on the racial and labour history of Bermuda.

Dr Hodgson was eventually named to the Order of the British Empire in 2012 for her work in serving Bermuda. She died in 2020, aged 95.

Polls for nominations were open between May 16 and July 15, and the public suggested people and organisations that have made strides towards closing the gap within racial equality since Dr Hodgson’s death.

Curb received 20 nominations, ten of whom will receive awards.

Members of the Hodgson family will be in attendance, as well as guests of honour Haile Maryem and Robert Clifford.

Corey Butterfield will serve as the keynote speaker.

The gala will take place on October 21 from 6pm to 10pm at Pier 6 in Hamilton.

Tickets for general admission cost $150, while tickets for patrons are $200.

A limited number of gala tickets are still available and can be ordered through Ptix.