January 26, 2002

Dear Sir,

Recently I heard a discourse on "Raising Boys". One comment indicated the need for boys to feel useful, another spoke of their need to have a sense of history and of who they are, a third spoke of their need to meet challenges without making excuses and a fourth spoke of the need for adults to have compassion and kindness, recognising the problems they may be facing.

All of these comments were undoubtedly valid for boys in general. However, I could not but think that none of these suggestions were going to be of much value to young black boys, who, after all, are the ones that we see on the front pages of The Royal Gazette for some antisocial conduct, or who are incarcerated unless we, as a black community, can rid ourselves of our self hate and self rejection. Unless we can, or do, we will continue to be in trouble.

When black policemen beat up black men who have served their time in prison, not because they have committed a crime but as a "warning", we are in trouble. When black politicians insist on prosecuting young 11-year-old black boys who felt they were being constructive when, if they had been white, a simple warning would have been deemed sufficient, we are in trouble.

When a black prison official makes a suggestion which is rejected by black decision makers, but when passed on to a white expatriate who then puts it forward, it is accepted and amply rewarded, we are in trouble. When a black Bermudian has acquired a variety of skills but is never permitted to share them because the Government decision makers and private businesses are only prepared to give such opportunities to a white person or an expatriate or a foreigner to demonstrate the same skills and for which they are abundantly rewarded, we are in trouble.

When large settlements are made to whites and non-Bermudians, while black politicians tell aggrieved blacks that they cannot expect all past injustices to be remedied, we are in trouble. As long as blacks with skills and expertise are valued by other black decision makers only if they have white approval, we are in trouble.

A great deal of money has been given to both foreigners and whites, by both Government and private business, for good ideas and good programme which may have value but are sporadic. But the problems in Bermuda's black community whether with young black males, or the violence among young black women, will never be solved until we as black people are prepared to place a value on ourselves and each other and until we believe that what other black Bermudians have to offer may have value whether it is acceptable to whites or not. White folks and foreigners will never solve our problems on any long term basis while we continue to be so self rejecting of our own.

This self rejection is by no means limited to black decision makers who may charge other blacks for being too race conscious, it infects the entire community. Young (and older) "radicals" who see them selves as Afro-centred are hostile and contemptuous towards other black Bermudians and their struggle because they are not sufficiently "Afro-centred" or "pan-African" enough, or one of the many reasons suggested by Willie Lynch.

When our young black boys receive so much condemnation and see it all around them and receive so little compassion from the black community and when injustices towards other blacks are taken for granted, whether physical beating or psychological rejection. When the effort of foreigners and whites are so highly valued and so highly rewarded while that of black Bermudians are so easily dismissed and devalued, the violence in our community can only continue because it is the expression of self-hatred and self-rejection. When we cannot accept our own, or place a value on them but always value white contributions and that of foreigners so much more, and see them as the ones to bring us solutions to our problems, how can we expect others to even respect any of us, except when they can use us for their own ends. We, as black Bermudians, are the only ones who can address, or solve, these particular problems for the long term, no matter how much we look to others to address these issues.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish