July 17th, 2006

Dear Sir,

Does Bermuda suddenly have a racial problem? Should we all stand-up, hold hands and rally around a call for unity in our community to stop the scourge of racism, because people that don't look like me, have all of a sudden become racially conscious.

Have any of them ever experienced racism, or even understand what it feels like to be the victim of a racist incident or discriminated against.

Surely, what happened on July 9 was a terrible thing and racial, but the incident was not racially motivated. But why did it happen?

The attack happened because we live in a society that has systematically disenfranchised Black people in Bermuda. Because Bermuda's Whites and some Blacks decided a long time ago that a sacrifice for financial gain and power is sufficient to sustain the status quo.

Housing wasn't a priority, equal educational opportunities wasn't necessary and access to credit was restricted to maintain the status quo?

Those four young men and others who subconsciously and physically stood by and watched, unfortunately expressed what young and old people have been feeling and experienced for many years.

Their inability to get a quality education. Their inability to complete a job application form and to secure a job and their inability to obtain affordable housing.

So they feel not only ineffective as a person, but they also feel that Bermuda does not care about them, (does not) need them and basically makes them feel like second-class citizens.

So what then? They find other means to make money and support themselves. They sell drugs, unaware that selling drugs is like a beauty pageant. There can only be one winner, but they still spend many years trying to win, without success.

Hence, the fact that corner drug dealing will not go away, unless drugs go away.

They also turn to other forms of crime and use sex and violence to express their frustrations.

However, regardless of the skin colour of our elected members on the Hill, Bermuda will not change or improve until we stop looking at racism from an individual perspective only. We need to fight racism from an institutional and systematic perspective where power and money breeds contempt and separation.

Yes, there are White people in Bermuda that don't want Black people as their neighbours or are even uncomfortable working with them and there are also Blacks that feel the same way, but as long as one group of people has an economic stranglehold over another, racism will continue. Such is the case in Bermuda.

We can rally, we can sing Negro spirituals until we're blue in the face, or even tie yellow ribbons around casuarina trees, but we as a people cannot improve race relations until Bermuda's systematic manifestations are changed. It can't happen overnight, but we need to step in the right direction.

Our present Government benefits from racism. So why should they be quick to change a system that now benefits them, their consultants and their loyalists, when they can still exploit race for their political gain at the same time?

Would Government change interest rates to reduce and improve housing and home ownership? I doubt it, even though the fixed rate was originally conceived to reduce home ownership for Black families and reduce Black business ownership and access to credit, while helping to maintain the status quo and White majority.

Would they change the present medical and dental referral system? I doubt it. Would they establish a national medical plan to provide free medical care and prescriptions for seniors? I doubt it...

Government has a social agenda or should I say a list of things to do that have a social impact.

So what!! South Africa had a social agenda when they imprisoned Nelson Mandela. Saddam had a social agenda when he exterminated tens of thousands of Kurds and al-Qaeda even has a social agenda.

So what is my Government doing to improve racism in Bermuda?

What are our successful Black, White and Portuguese individuals doing to improve racism? They have the power to make social and institutional changes. The question remains. Does anyone want to change the status quo?

Like someone recently said, "who cares about the costs". It would appear that our young black men are just an opportunity costs to ensure Bermuda's financial success.

When it comes to race relations, we need openness, honesty and reconciliation. So let me say what other Black people may think. What happened to the Portuguese-Bermudian man was unfortunate, but if what happened helps to improve my son's future as a result of just being born Black, then thank you my brothers.

SAM BRANGMAN JR.

Warwick