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I don't think anyone in Bermuda should be shocked by the results of the unofficial poll run the Bermuda Sun on Wednesday with regards to how young people feel about Premier Dr. Ewart Brown.

In light of the negative press that Dr. Brown constantly receives, it's no wonder that only three out of thirty young people interviewed in the Bermuda Sun's street polls "were solid fans of the leader". Before I go any further, I must question whether the Sun believes Premier Brown is a movie star and therefore should have "fans". That is the first negative in the article and we haven't even gotten to the meat of the story.

When I analyzed the comments from the 30 young Bermudians, I was not shocked that they're not "fans" of Dr. Brown. It is obvious that all 30 of those young people, aged between 18 and 25, are followers, rather than leaders, hence most have made the same comment "He is more for himself", whatever that means. I therefore felt it necessary to share with these young people, and other Bermudians, a little of Dr. Brown's personal history and hopefully they, and others will see that the Premier of this country is not "about himself only" and never has been.

It is true, Dr. Brown has never had to apply for financial assistance, but that is only because he is the product of a family that has always worked hard and believed in the value of education. Long before Dr. Brown was conceived, his maternal great-grandfather ensured that his seven children received college educations. Hence Dr. Brown did not have to struggle financially as others had to in our community; this fact, however, has not prevented him from giving back to our community.

The three young females, Naykobee Smith, Anwanae Wilson and Zhaire Santucci, were correct when they stated that Dr. Brown is a good role model. Having grown up next door to Dr. Brown, I can only agree. Although rebellious to some extent during his primary and high school years, once Dr. Brown began his studies at Howard University at the age of 18, he set a goal for himself and never looked back.

An outstanding scholar, athlete and campus activist, Dr. Brown proved to be the kind of student that any young person should want to emulate. Upon graduation he set up practice in Los Angeles, California, and he has been recognized for his grassroots service to medicine and for his genuine humanitarian concerns in an area of that city where his medical expertise could assist those who were less fortunate that him.

In fact, Dr. Brown has received many awards for his service to communities in America. For a number of years he commuted between his medical practice in Los Angeles and Bermuda, in spite of initially being denied the right to practice in the country of his birth. In the early nineties he founded the Bermuda Times, so that black Bermudians could have their own media voice.

Five years ago Dr. Brown, along with his brothers and friend Murray Brown, founded The Bermuda Health Foundation, a Bermuda registered charity whose primary purpose is to provide scholarships for Bermudian students who are pursuing careers in the medical field. This year, the Bermuda Health Foundation provided almost $50,000 in scholarships to four well-deserving Bermudian students. As the Minister of Tourism and Transport, Dr. Brown can boast the following accomplishments, amongst others, because of his tireless efforts to put Bermuda back on the map as a choice tourism destination:

n Made it a possibility for Tiger Woods, another black male who has achieved greatness in spite of his race, to grace our shores with his presence;

n Introduced fast ferries to Bermuda;

n Introduced lower airfares to most gateway cities on the planet;

n Introduced new hotels to Bermuda for the first time in over 35 years;

n Increased the bus service.

I could go on and on listing the accomplishments of Dr. Brown; however, that should not be necessary and my intent is to show those young people who think that Dr. Brown is "all for himself" that he is a man whose life work should be admired, not "dissed". I believe that if just a small minority of young black males in Bermuda emulated Dr. Brown, our prison population would decrease dramatically, our graduation results would increase dramatically and the many social ills that continue to beset our community would be lessened. Last, but certainly not least, those 30 young people in the Bermuda Sun, those who were at Snorkel Park and "booed" Dr. Brown, and others in our community who believe that Dr. Brown is all for himself, should be aware that in order for Dr. Brown to sit in Bermuda's Parliament, he had to give up his American citizenship. From what I know of Dr. Brown, the American people have been much kinder to him than his fellow Bermudians.

I have no doubt that there will be readers of this letter who will accuse me of trying to score "Brownie" points; however, they can rest assured that is not my intent and completely unnecessary as the relationship between Dr. Brown and I is as solid as a rock. Certainly I do not wear rose-coloured glasses when I look at Dr. Brown, he is not infallible neither is he without fault - but who among us is?

I am waiting with bated breath for the Bermuda Sun to conduct a similar poll using Michael Dunkley, the "Premier in waiting" as the subject. Bermudians can rest assured that Michael Dunkley's contribution to humanity will not exceed that of Premier Ewart Brown.[[In-content Ad]]

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