illiam Raspberry, the author of ?Coach more and yell less, Coz? (November 23, 2004) has it wrong! His criticism about Dr. Bill Cosby?s comments to black America are not supported by the history of blacks since emancipation in 1865 in the USA. If we follow the Raspberry method, blacks will believe they are helpless and will be condemned to a life of misery and slavery.

The current state of black America, and Cosby?s efforts to confront their plight, has nothing to do with reducing ?white guilt?. While there are scars of slavery and racism deeply rooted and reflected in black-made movies and further reinforced on talk radio, our history indicates that those emancipated in Bermuda in 1834 had a vision of empowerment and ?no excuses? and proved it with their actions, in spite of the numerous obstacles in their way. In other words, they did not give in to the system. They beat it with hard work, common sense, education, honesty, respect and high standards. Just look around you at what they accomplished. Had they sat back and blamed slavery and blamed the white man, they would not have established an historical track record of accomplishments in every aspect of life from science to history and exploration.

Whites do not name our children. Whites do not set standards in our homes. Whites do not tell our children to go to school and play around or ignore homework. Whites do not tell our children to disrespect their teachers. Whites do not prevent blacks from supporting True Reflections and learning about their African and West Indian history. Whites do not prevent our children from reading. Whites do not prevent blacks from pursuing courses in business or opening their own restaurants, shopping malls, retail stores or banks. And whites are not making blacks victims.

I ask you, Bermuda, if our forefathers who were emancipated here in 1834 could aim for the top, teach themselves to read, dress better than the white man, learn and exhibit first-class manners and go on and make careers and build homes, businesses, clubs and schools, why can?t this generation do the same with ten times more resources and without overt racism and prejudice? It is as simple as that.

But if you are not convinced, just ask yourself how it is that your own black grandparents, who had little when they arrived from the West Indies, came with a vision to achieve and they did. Can you imagine, 40 shops from one end of Angle Street to the next in the 1940s, the Leopards Club, guest houses etc. They did it and built a three-storey Church of God, Samaritans Lodge and Alaska Hall to name but a few. Isn?t it obvious that they refused to use racism as an excuse and achieved in spite of barriers? But today we say ?because of? the past we are helpless. Nonsense!

In his book, Choir No. 1 and Choir No. 2, the late Hilton Hill II detailed how Bermuda, prior to 1959, was segregated from the cradle to the grave. But in spite of the racism and the restricted opportunities, blacks were determined to get ahead and did. There simply were no excuses. To underline this fact, the late Dr. Yvonne Blackette, in the book Mazumbo, detailed how Lady Richards prepared girls for clerical jobs when none existed but they were prepared so they would be ready. In 1959 they were ready and they moved from the back room to the front.

Given our experiences here in Bermuda, and many other black experiences in the USA, columnist Raspberry has clearly got it wrong. Cosby was right to yell. Many of us little guys have been yelling a long time and nobody was listening while the situation got worse. Bill?s yelling made Raspberry feel bad because he (Raspberry) and so many other liberals have sat by and watched things get worse.

For too long we have watched the dream of Martin Luther King Jr, Martin T. Wilson, R. Austin Wilson, Rosalie Pearman, Ida J. Smith, Adel Tucker, F.S. Furbert and numerous others get washed down the drain. Rather than read from the numerous resources we currently have, or purchase the video, we still hear blacks complain that they do not know their history. Rather than collect their sons from the walls we still hear many blacks blame whites for having the top jobs. Rather than demand standards we still hear a call to lower them. Rather than get in community education classes and the Bermuda College there are complaints that the foreigners are moving ahead. Rather than convince our children that all jobs have honour, we allow them to be unemployed when they could be good shampoo girls or carpenter?s apprentices or waiters and work themselves up.

And then we blame the foreigners who are prepared to come in and do what our forefathers and parents did: ?Anything to get ahead, no matter what and without excuse.? Give me a break.

With all of this foolishness going on, people like Dr. Eva Hodgson talked about values and how they impacted on our achievement, self-worth, dignity and respect. But she was ignored. As a former school teacher and principal, I too was frequently condemned for having ?white? bourgeois views because I did not condemn the white man and the system that so many Blacks overcame.

I have never been one for looking at colour. How could I when performance was demanded of me?

I do realise that life is not fair and there may be clear examples of blacks being overlooked. But what I do not like is how an increasing number of blacks now lack confidence in themselves and have chosen a non-productive path of whining about how they cannot get ahead.

Nothing stopped us from owning an Internet company, a bank or an IBC or Fed Express. We cannot blame that on racism. What has to happen is that we have to believe in ourselves, trust each other, plan and support. A detailed plan would see us strike less and use the time to become shareholders and or owners. Can you imagine what would happen if the unions of the country had a five-year economic plan that prepared their members to bid, found them mentors, held them financially accountable and sat at the bidding table for projects at, say, Harbourside? No, they march for two percent while the profits go elsewhere.

As a Government we will develop plans to prepare more blacks to be business owners. The first step has to start with the individual when the plan is presented. The Government cannot, however, force people to become patrons. And it is most unfortunate when blacks provide first class service, the black and the white community do not support the Black owned business. Resolving this will take lots of time and more discussion but it does not help when blacks continuously raise the racial flag without looking at their own actions first. It puts the back of whites up and they retreat. Only black and white partnerships will work. It will get our black boys off the walls when they are made directors and shareholders and it will help foster better understandings between the races.

It is an option that white Bermuda has to embrace if it is genuine about the racial and economic divide. We could learn from each other and it would provide a meaningful way for whites to clearly see that we are capable, adequate and competent. It can and must be done.

Leadership with a solid economic plan that deals with issues honestly, can liberate blacks and provide them with what they want. Cosby saw the lack of leadership and the growing tide of restless youth, who were lost because their parents set meaningless expectations, and got caught up in materialism and making life easy for them when they really needed direction towards the next goal.

What was Cosby to do? Keep on moaning that it is the white man?s fault or say: ?If we could do it immediately after slavery and during the height of racism, and if we could do it in the 1930s with West Indian migration, then why can?t we do it again??

He and many of us have had enough of this cry baby stuff when we know we are capable, adequate and competent to achieve. So Cosby, as a national figure has tried to shut the cry babies up and we better join him if we hope to rescue the next generation. Just take a look at your walls, Bermuda.

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