The US Consulate invited the Government and community leaders to take part in a walking tour as part of a Black History Month series.

The tour took place at Spittal Pond Nature reserve and included landmarks connected to the enslavement, resistance and empowerment of people of African descent.

Led by the Bermuda National Trust, the tour explored Jeffrey’s Cave, an important landmark on the African Diaspora Trail because it was the hiding place of an enslaved man who escaped but was later found.

Portuguese Rock, a historical monument believed to be linked to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, was another stop on the tour.

Karen Grissette, the US Consul-General, who sponsored the “immersive and educational” experience, said: “Black History Month is an important time to reflect on the global contribution of people of African descent but also a time to face the moral stain of slavery around the world.

“The visit to the picturesque Jeffrey’s Cave and Portuguese Rock with this group of dignitaries gave us all the opportunity to reflect on how to continue to work towards a more just society.”

Those who participated in the walk were: Supreme Court Justice Juan Wolffe; Owen Darrell, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Tourism; Ben Smith, Deputy Opposition Leader and Smith’s South MP; Stacey-Lee Williams, the executive director of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda; Kim Dismont-Robinson, the director of the Department of Culture; Patrina O’Connor-Paynter, the managing director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda; Dennie O’Connor, entrepreneur and co-owner of Bermuda Travel Concessions; Alana Anderson; Bermuda National Trust council president; Maxine Esdaille and Dawn Simmons, African Diaspora Heritage Trust and cultural heritage educators; and Jonathan Howes, Bermuda Press Holdings chief executive and publisher.