Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda paid tribute to the late Eva Hodgson on Saturday night by presenting awards to individuals and groups that have continued her fight for an end to racism.

The charity handed out 11 awards at its inaugural Dr Eva Hodgson Racial Justice Awards at Pier Six, including a lifetime achievement award to founder Lynn Winfield.

While the award was intended to be a surprise, the audience heard the surprise was accidentally spoilt the day before the ceremony.

Ms Winfield was credited with “remarkable” and “tenacious” work in the pursuit of racial justice in Bermuda in the face of condemnation.

Accepting the award, Ms Winfield said she was appreciative of the “wonderful” recognition, but emphasised that the charity was only able to succeed because of the dedication of its team members.

“You have been the ones who have escorted me and stood by me and helped me in times when I doubted myself and was worried I was going to put my foot in my mouth, and quite often I worried about that,” she said.

“In this kind of work, you get a lot of pushback and you do find that it’s hard at times to do this kind of work. But I find that this group of people have been a wonderful source of support.”

The charity also recognised Robert Clifford, a founding member of Curb’s predecessor, the National Association for Reconciliation, with a spotlight award.

Mr Clifford told the audience stories of his friendship with Dr Hodgson, which was forged through their work with the NAR.

“She was a very, very special person, and I must confess I miss her. A lot,” he said.

Other awards recipients included Glenn Fubler, a longstanding community activist and founder of Imagine Bermuda, who was hailed for his work to build bridges in the community.

Mr Fubler said he felt the most important moment in his work as an activist was his involvement in the anti-apartheid movement, recalling a moment when activists burnt the Union Flag in front of City Hall.

He was among several speakers who used their time to voice support for the people of Palestine, adding that there will be a gathering at the Cathedral on Wednesday between 1pm and 2pm for people to offer their prayers for an end to the “racist siege”.

Kristin White was honoured with two awards, one for her work through Social Justice Bermuda and one together with Yesha Townsend, for their work on their Cartographies of Loss project intended to fill in the gaps of Bermuda’s history and tell the sometimes difficult stories that have not often been shared.

Ms White said she had been inspired by the life and words of Dr Hodgson, and her death was one of the catalysts for the foundation of Social Justice Bermuda.

“Dr Hodgson died four days after a police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd and the global movement for Black Lives took fire.

“I had been sitting, watching, crying, but Dr Hodgson leaving this realm inspired me to send out a tweet ‘Who will march with me’, and Social Justice Bermuda was born.“

Ms Townsend also spoke about the legacy of Dr Hodgson, comparing how the island’s people manage hurricanes to how they live through social injustice.

“The story of a people is the grounds for a future, a place where we live unendingly,” she said. “I am honoured to be able to share work with Kristin, who is committed to ensuring that we navigate the spaces between memory, the gaps left in our cultural lineage and the debris, ruins and damage left by our shared storms that need to be named, recorded and unendingly remembered.”

Rashida Godwin was recognised for her work highlighting the island’s cultural heritage for locals and visitors through Titan Tours.

Ms Godwin said: “I became very passionate when things were happening in the Black community with a lot of violence, and I needed to really find out why these things were happening in my community.

“I felt as though many young people in the Black community didn’t have any basis for their own history in the schools. They didn’t know who they were.

“Many of the children they thought were troublemakers, they just needed to know who they were. That is all they needed.”

Melodye Micere Van Putten was recognised for her work through Ashay University, which offers African-centred education and cultural enrichment, while artist Gherdai Hassell was celebrated for her projects.

Family Centre also received an award, with Curb highlighting the legacy of the charity’s former leader, Martha Dismont, and its work hosting the Ace conference, which showed the impact of racial inequality over a lifetime.

Philip Davies and the Argus Group were honoured for their commitment to equality including the creation of their Belong Blac Committee, while Bacardi Bermuda’s Belonging Committee was recognised for its initiatives and programmes aimed at supporting and creating opportunities for marginalised communities.