A funny thing happened on Labour Day. The UBP didn't act the way the UBP is “supposed” to act.

Standing in front of the attendees at the ceremonies, Senator Kim Swan and MP David Dodwell did something you don't often hear the UBP do publicly. They spoke passionately, personally and with an openness that many might not expect. They were unrestrained, at ease in a labour crowd, comfortable in their own skin and without the usual slippery language of politicians. They were direct, honest and introspective. Their message clearly resonated with both men speaking candidly about their, and their party's, vision for one Bermuda.

To many, this might have been unusual. For me it was not. I've heard both of these, and other, UBP members speak powerfully about righting the wrongs of the past, about uniting Bermuda's de facto segregated community, and about taking steps themselves to make this goal a reality. Unfortunately - perhaps due to a perception that public discussions about race put them on the PLP's turf - these conversations have taken place internally, creating an impression in the community that the UBP is uninterested in the issue.

Things have clearly changed. This is not your Grandfather's UBP, and it's happening under an unlikely leader. It's happening under a Gibbons. You know, the ones that you're told represent and protect the white establishment. By sending out Kim Swan and David Dodwell to deliver their messages in his absence, Grant Gibbons has signalled his desire to put racial reconciliation front and centre under his leadership. Behind that even-tempered unflappable demeanour, Dr. Gibbons is just another Bermudian who cares about the issue.

This directness might surprise some of the traditional UBP support. But if the UBP is to again take the reigns of leadership in this community, they're going to have to talk about and address race. Only then can we be united. The party is going to have to be ready to open some minds and pull any reluctant members along with them, bringing us together as one.

Bermuda has to tackle the issue of race, and it must be done with a genuine desire to achieve results, not for short-term political point scoring. This UBP seems to have taken up the challenge and appears to have found its voice. The Labour Day speeches should have made that clear, but in reality it started back on October 30, 2002 when Dr. Gibbons delivered an address entitled ‘Today's UBP: Embracing the Power of One Bermuda'.

Dr. Gibbons said in his speech (available on the Party's website): “The legacy of slavery and segregation persists. Prejudice and glass ceilings have not disappeared. There is unfinished business between black and white Bermudians - we cannot deny that - and our history suggests that the struggle to become one Bermuda will not be easy. But the goal of one Bermuda is worth the struggle, because the price of failure is too high.”

The leader of the UBP acknowledged the “unfinished business” between black and white Bermudians and seems aware that he leads an organisation which can advance this cause. Why? Simple. The party was founded at a difficult time in our history as a partnership between the races. The UBP is all too aware that Bermuda's future depends on the success of this goal. The party's own continued viability and the uniting of the races are inextricably tied. That's something that bodes well for Bermuda.

What you saw last week was a renewed determination and willingness to accept this responsibility and step out of the party's comfort zone to lead the dialogue that must take place. So where has this desire to publicly address racial reconciliation and social inequality come from?

Political parties are a sum of their parts, a reflection of the values of their members. When you join a party you don't submit yourself to some pre-determined agenda, you help define it and the way it will be achieved. Parties, like people, change with time.

Over the past few years the UBP has brought in a wealth of new blood, and the benefits of this are showing. The party has evolved, with its leadership reflecting on the relative successes or failures of prior policies and methods. The current philosophy and direction of the party is a result of that introspection and fresh faces, revealing an understanding that all isn't well in our community.There's a perception in Bermuda that the UBP isn't concerned about racial and social inequities. That couldn't be further from the truth. Grant Gibbons, Kim Swan and David Dodwell, among others, should confirm that.

www.politics.bm