Commissiong eyes a seat in the House of Assembly

As his prepares once again to throw his hat into the ring at the next general election — whenever that might be — James Whittaker spoke to him about his public persona, progress on the Mincy report and why he plans to challenge Ashfield DeVent as a PLP candidate in Constituency 21.

So who is the real Rolfe Commissiong?

I am a 53-year-old Bermudian who is married to Roxanne Commissiong. I have two children and one granddaughter, who I love dearly.

I also love Bermuda and have devoted myself over the last 15 years or so to making this country as better place for all its people, particularly those who have been excluded and marginalized in this country.

It has been reported that you intend to challenge MP Ashfield DeVant for the PLP nomination in Constituency 21. Why?

Firstly, despite media reports, I am not the only prospective candidate interested in representing that Branch at the next election. I have had reports that there may be at least two more individuals who are interested in that constituency.

I do not intend to make my case to the branch members in 21, in this or any other media, as I believe it is an internal matter of the Branch and Party proper. I have taken my case to the Branch and will continue to do so. Beyond that, I have no comment.

What do you think you bring to the table politically?

During these tough and challenging times, Bermudians are going to be looking for individuals to fight on their behalf. They don’t want wallflowers or place sitters. Those days are just about over.

Working people in Bermuda know me and know that I will stand up and defend their interest and that of their families. They also know that I will not roll over in the face of opposition from the privileged and the powerful when it comes to doing what’s right and just.

I come from a strong black working-class background, with deep roots in the struggle for social justice in Bermuda and I have not forgotten that.  I also know whose shoulders I stand upon.

You have received some pretty bad press over the years, why do you think that is?

Well, it’s no secret that the Gazette, its largely English corps of journalists and one or two columnist writing for this newspaper, have been on a witchhunt against the PLP government and its leadership [see editor’s note at the foot of this article]. It has gone on for years and has become more acute over the last four years during the Brown Premiership.

Look, I am a big boy, I can take, as well as dish out. But when press freedom becomes a licence on the part of the press to abuse, demonize and lie about individuals in a manner that amounts to pure malice, due to political and personal differences; well that is where I draw the line and the same should be the case for the society at large.  [The Royal Gazette defended its recent stories about Rolfe Commissiong and pointed out that he had been given the right of reply in the newspaper at the time — see sidebar.]

Won’t the media council deal with those issues?

Not necessarily, that is why I remain a proponent of legislating journalistic standards and was disappointed that it was decided not to take that route in favour of allowing the press to regulate itself. I personally am not optimistic about that approach. The stories I have seen of late indicate that things have not changed on this score, and in fact that certain elements in the press may have been emboldened by the government climb down on this issue.

On the upside, Bermudians, especially black Bermudians, have become more sophisticated and savvy when it comes to evaluating the press. In my view, in many cases those political figures who have been attacked unfairly and demonized in the press, have actually seen their credibility enhanced, while those who have received the stamp of approval and support of the press — particularly by The Royal Gazette — are usually damaged by that support as MP Dale Butler found out to his dismay. The implicit, and at times explicit advocacy of The Royal Gazette by Mr. Butler, proved to the kiss of death for him, in terms of PLP delegates at the recent conference.

I will always reserve the right to define myself. I have always fought for that right and I see no reason to change that now. Having said that, I do not hold myself above scrutiny by the press but no news media outlet is entitled to its own facts; especially when they are made out of whole cloth.

How is the implementation of the Mincy report progressing?

Well firstly, I wish to give credit to Premier Cox, who is determined to move government forward in implementing the reports recommendations. She recognizes the critical need for our country to address this issue; and the role and responsibility government has in crafting the necessary policy and legislative prescriptions to confront the challenges that too many of our young black males are facing. She also knows, as did former Premiers Alex Scott and Ewart Brown, that it is in the country’s interest to do so.

As to specific decisions as to how we will proceed in terms of the recommended programmes that have been selected, one of the key issues of course will be their ability to be replicated in the Bermuda context. These programmes must be adapted for Bermuda in order to maximize their effectiveness. I am currently in initial discussions with Professor Mincy with respect to the implementation phase and I am sure that Premier Cox will share publicly the decisions that have been made in this regard in due course.

Is this issue crucial to Bermuda’s future?

The need is acute. My urgency is motivated by the fact that we as a country need to ensure that the seven, ten and twelve year olds today, are not going to replicate the outcomes experienced by some of the older young males in our midst. The Mincy Report on young black males is not the only answer or the last word on this subject, more will need to be done in the home and in other areas but this report offers us a blueprint that we would be foolish as a society to ignore.

In a country with the limited human recourses that we possess, we can not allow the great human potential and talent as represented by our young black males to not be realized more fully. Our continued competitiveness in the world today depends on us beginning to get this right. As the report highlights, it took us a quarter century to get to this point, beginning in the mid 1980s, but if we move now, I am confident we can turn this situation around.

What is happening with the Big Conversation initiative?

Well the Bermuda Race Relations Initiative’s ‘Big Conversation’, in many ways continues in my view, although not necessarily in the form that we have seen over the last three and a half years. It was always the intention of then Premier Brown and by extension the government to have the initiative jumpstart the conversation in Bermuda. And I think that was achieved.

The horse if you will is out of the stable. Secondly, it was intended to facilitate ownership of the conversation in the community. I contend that that is happening with the continued advocacy of groups such as CURB (Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda) and others, continuing to face and address this important issue, even though the Government - as stated - will not play a dominant role as was the case previously.

It was important for the Government to play that leading role back in 2007 because no other entity was prepared to do so. Let us not forget, individuals were routinely cast as ‘racists’ for simply wanting to have a dialogue on the subject in the bad old days. That is no longer necessarily the case now.

Editor’s note: The Bermuda Sun emphatically rejects Mr. Commissiong’s assertion that “…one or two columnists writing for this newspaper have been on a witchhunt against the PLP government and its leadership…”. While our columnists have taken the government to task on many issues, as is their prerogative, it is plain wrong — ludicrous even — to suggest that the writers to whom he is referring harbour an inherent anti-PLP bias.