May 3, 2012This letter was sent to Cordell Riley, President Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) and copied to The Royal Gazette.Dear President Cordell Riley,I am writing to congratulate you and CURB on your recent Racial Justice Conference, “Bermuda’s Criminal Justice System: Intent & Impact.” It was an outstanding conference that brought together government officials, community members, business leaders, young people, and academics to explore the challenges of the historical legacy and present day manifestations of racism in society and within the criminal justice system in particular. Vibrant discussions emerged after each informative and powerful presentation and it was especially wonderful to see the valuable and valued contributions by young people to the panel presentations and artistic events.The design of the conference made a significant impact, I believe, on the framing of the challenges presented by the legacy of racism in Bermuda, helping to uncover the destructive mask of colorblindness in the midst of racism. The opening pre-conference workshop, “Structural Racism in the Criminal Justice System: The Need for Change” outlined the historical context of racism on the Island highlighting how the legal and social structures were framed through race and colour. Demonstrating the hundreds of years of institutionalised racism and raising questions about the impact of that on all sectors of society — the legal, educational, and political systems, for example — it launched the conference with a non-colorblind framing of the historical and present day problems facing society. Such a contextualised framing challenges the hegemonic narrative that argues that when we discuss racism it is best to focus on individuals’ values and solely upon the present in order to make it easier and more fruitful for tackling problems of today. Instead, the pre-conference workshop presentation and ensuing discussions explored the actualities of the historical legacies of institutionalised racism. It helped to explain why it still has manifestations in today’s society — despite colorblind laws and most people’s intentions to the contrary.This framing appeared to successfully hold Bermuda’s history accountable and also provide an inviting and non-threatening way to discuss these challenging issues in the present day with a racially heterogeneous audience. Additionally, it set the stage for a very powerful set of workshops and panel presentations that explored the implications in the present and future for institutional policies and practices. Dr Michelle Alexander’s keynote address and her talk in the community during the conference provided a powerful warning of the path that could be taken if Bermuda follows the tragic lead of the United States in ignoring racialised criminalisation and incarceration practices. Dr Michelle Alexander’s analysis elucidated the falsity of colorblindness and unpacked how it is used to mask the institutionalised replication of histories of racism in the US.The final presentation by Professor Quinton Sherlock built upon this uncovering of colorblindness as an inadequate salve for unaddressed racial legacies and present day racial inequalities. He countered the dominant narrative that the creation of colorblind laws can in one short generation not only not repair seventeen generations of racism, but also sufficiently alter the landscape of racial relationships in social, legal, or political spheres. This brought the conference participants full circle to the questions posed by the opening pre-conference workshop: to consider how to redress the racialised injustices in society and what roles forms of justice, retribution, healing, and mediation can play. The invitation and challenge was set out to all participants to create a national system of restorative justice and to utilise multiple methods — institutionalised in concert with the legal system — to further racial justice and building more holistic communities. The conference participants seemed moved and energised to move forward on this agenda.Congratulations are due to CURB for the clear success of the conference and its collaborative work across sectors of society, building a momentum that is both innovative and practical to make positive changes. It was an honour to take part and I wish you the very best in your next steps.LEAH WING, EdDSenior LecturerLegal Studies ProgramDepartment of Political ScienceFounding Director, Social JusticeMediation Institute