Improving race relations is about bringing people together, not keeping them apart.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I want to reiterate how misdirected Mr. Rolfe Commissiong’s words were to the spirit of constructive Parliamentary debate on the question of race relations.

On Friday, the House of Assembly unanimously passed a motion asking for forgiveness for the role the House of Assembly played in race division. It was a rare example of consensus, especially in light of the different life perspectives each MP brought to the debate, and a step in the right direction.

But this weekend Mr. Commissiong said he did not think white MPs went deeply enough into the issues raised by the motion and then he tried to marginalize individuals.

I believe we have to take our successes on the fundamental issue of relations between the races wherever and whenever we can, and Friday’s debate was one such success. Mr. Commissiong’s words on the matter continue to drive a wedge between people in much the same way we see during election periods, and they stand as a reminder that under the Premier’s controlling hand there remains in place a political will to divide Bermudians along racial lines for partisan political gain.

For Bermuda, this is a dead end strategy that will continue to impair our growth as one people. Good leadership on matters of race must ultimately be about bringing people together. Good leadership must take its best understanding of the history and the sensitivities, impediments and benefits that history bequeathed and use it to build a positive connections between people, to build a foundation that all of us can share fairly as Bermudians moving forward.