Dedicated to the works of My Bredrin’ Duval “Dagga” Spencer

Like most of Bermuda, I have noticed an increasingly hostile attitude towards the Chewstick Foundation and some of its activities, including Beachfest.

Where is this hostility coming from? Well, by the looks of it, the holy trinity of this hostility are a few persons in the public, some individuals in government and, most recently, some reporters in the media.

Why do some people wish to see the demise of this grassroots foundation?

Is it because they are located ‘Bak a Town’? Nah. That can’t be it.

Is it because they attract thousands of persons of every demographic during Cup Match? Nah. That can’t be it

Is it because they actually help to cultivate local talent?

Nah. That can’t be it

Is it because they help bring the diverse races, cultures, and sexual orientations into one spot every week?

Could it? Could it? Nah. That can’t be it.

Is it because they started from the bottom and now they are here? Nah. That can’t be it

So what exactly is the problem here? Either we want unity or we don’t.

Either we want local talent to develop or we don’t.

Either we want to see Bermudians get a fair share of the pie or we don’t.

Whatever it is, many want to know, why exactly is the establishment chewing on Chewstick?

Pokémon cards, anyone?

Last Thursday, I took a walk on the wild side and attended an event at the Devonshire Recreation Club.

The event was a night of PechaKucha. What is that you say? Well, it isn’t a Pokémon convention, so you can exhale now.

PechaKucha is an event of Japanese origin at which a person picks a topic and presents 20 slides related to the topic.

The catch is they have 20 seconds to speak on each slide, giving them a total of 400 seconds to make their point. Sounds like madness, innit?

I went there primarily to support a few of my mates who were giving presentations.

I also figured I’d carry a few tomatoes with me. Oh, shucks, I am just going to go ahead and out them now:

Alan Gordon spoke on medical marijuana. (No shocker there)

Jason Rhind spoke on Raleigh International.

Larry Burchall spoke on debt (what else does he speak on?). Nathan Koswalski spoke on the economy.

As it turns out, I did not have to use my tomatoes after all; they each gave brilliant presentations on their respective subjects. Heck, they even handled the questions thrown at them very well. So much so that they should think about becoming political consultants and teaching politicians how to answer questions in an honest manner.

Cocktails anyone?

Two things struck me about this event. First, that it should be supported by a wider cross section of all Bermuda. It is fun, informative and a great way of social mingling. Let’s just say free flowing cocktails tend to become great conduits of social equalisation.

Unfortunately one of the realities is that similar events will be viewed as “an expat thing” or “a white people’s thing,” so you won’t find a ton of locals or blacks attending these events. To be completely honest, it was the first time I had even heard of it.

Which brings me to my second observation. I have been attending events at Devonshire Rec all my life, and have never seen so many non-blacks at The Rec.

If we are to even make any honest attempts at true unity in this country, unity can no longer be solely about blacks attending white clubs or events. Whites and guest workers must stop the social segregation and free up themselves to attend events at clubs such as the Devonshire Rec or Somerset Cricket Club other than at Cup Match.

Integration has been a one-way street in this country for far too long, and the way things are heading, we are becoming increasingly polarised. Events such as PechaKucha should be more commonplace at The Rec, with both blacks, browns, yellas and whites bringing their 400 seconds of their slice of life to the table.

The next PechaKucha event will be held on November 6. I encourage other Bermudians to get involved.

Just as importantly, I encourage diverse event organisers to look to other black clubs to host these events. Laughs and liquor are universally accepted.