That July 18 was the 101st birthday of Nelson Mandela made it very appropriate to hold the prize presentation for the quiz of the 60th anniversary of the Theatre Boycott.

This took place at One Communications’ Church Street venue, just across the street from the site where crowds gathered peacefully during that transformative chapter 60 years ago.

Included in the presentation were the honorary co-chairmen of the planning team, which evolved out of the 60th anniversary activities — namely Joan Dillas-Wright, the President of the Senate, and Dennis Lister, Speaker of the House.

The remit of the planning team is to invite stakeholders across the community to collaborate on leveraging the treasure of our shared past so that we may move forward.

It is engaging families across all sectors of the island that is a key goal of this initiative, a concept that grew out of the 60th anniversary celebration. The start of this process began on July 16 when various stakeholders gathered for an hour during the normal lunch period.

Those who joined the honorary co-chairmen on this first step were:

• Nishanti Bailey, a member of the executive of the Bermuda Union of Teachers, who co-ordinated its 100th anniversary celebrations in February

• Shangri-La Durham-Thompson, PhD, representing the Ministry of Education

• Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton

• Keith Jensen, president of the Bermuda Employers Council

• Clarence Maxwell, PhD, historian

• Helen Orchard, of #WalkTogetherBermuda

• Tammy Richardson, Dean of Arts and Science at the Bermuda College

• Bill Zuill, executive director of the Bermuda National Trust

Apologies were accepted from the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Collin Simmons, the education officer at the Bermuda Industrial Union, Kimberley Jackson, of Mirrors, and Lynne Winfield, of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda.

We began with brief collective introductions and then reviewed the statement of purpose.

This planning team is a representative group of stakeholders committed to leveraging the shared legacy of the transformational period of the 20th century — notably the Theatre Boycott — in a way that can be fully appreciated by present and future generations to facilitate our journey forward.

After that step, the team formed small groups to share personally transformative stories. This was followed by a presentation covering significant events in the 1940s and 1950s in Bermuda, culminating with the boycott.

It was evident that we would need to take more time to thoroughly complete the foundational stage. This next step will take place in early September.

Given the importance of this initiative, with its implications for the whole island, we look to “walk the walk” of inclusivity. Anyone keen on further insights may contact me at glennfubler@gmail.com.

The first prize for the quiz was won by Helene Stephenson, an exemplary retired teacher who spent the bulk of her career at Victor Scott School. Ms Stephenson’s prize was a Samsung Galaxy S10 mobile phone.

The runner-up prizes went to Roger Lambert, a $200 gift certificate from Brown & Co, and to Iesha Brangman-Smith, a $100 certificate from People’s Pharmacy.

We wish to thank those sponsors, as well as The Royal Gazette and the Worker’s Voice for their collective support in this family-friendly awareness campaign.

• Glenn Fubler represents Imagine Bermuda