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In the first half of this article, published on Wednesday, September 10, I wrote briefly about Bermuda's racial history and how it continues to impact our community. Today I want to show how racism has morphed in Bermuda's society. Dr. Eduardo Bonilla Silva calls it "New Racism: practices that are subtle, institutional, and apparently non racial."

In the late 70s, 80s and 90s, to talk about racism in Bermuda was considered racist. Those who did so found it difficult if not impossible to find jobs, were maligned in the press, and considered troublemakers. By and large we swept the whole issue under the carpet.

I remember Sir John Swan saying 15 or so years ago and I paraphrase him, "The more time we can put between the last riots and today, the less likely it is they will occur again." That may be true, but the sad thing is that this stifled conversation around race and the ongoing inequalities, and we never dealt with the pain, hurt and injustice.

I had a black friend remark to me recently that a certain senior white politician was "living up on the river." Never having heard of this, I had to ask her to explain what she meant. Well the river in question was 'the Nile'. . .

That river 'Denial' doesn't only operate in the individual mind but also in the collective awareness of a group. "In order to be a part of a group there is a tacit understanding not to rock the boat, not to notice one's own feelings of uneasiness and misgiving, and certainly not to challenge the group think." (Howard Gardner).

As whites we must have the courage to seek the truth in order to save us from this "narcotic of self deception." We must learn ways to speak out against racism whenever we see it raise its head as a stereotype, joke or the many other myriad ways we manage to cloak it.

Racism is not going to just give up and go away because we think it has... if only it would! It has morphed into something else; changing to fit into today's more polite and politically correct society. Insidious it has gone underground, melting into our businesses to rear its head in outdated hiring practices, stereotypes and so-called cultural misunderstandings.

Every time we allow our 'comfort zone' to interfere in our interview or hiring practices and a white candidate is chosen over a black candidate because we have a "feeling" that they will fit in better, we are walking in the path of racism.

Every time a private school allows alumni's sons, daughters, siblings, etc. to fill up the spaces available... they are perpetuating a system of institutionalised racism. Yes it is history; yes it has always been done that way... but why? Because it was part of a system put in place by people long ago to ensure that unwanted people would not be allowed in.

So why do we continue to blindly follow such antiquated and unfair practices? The excuse that "it's always been done that way" no longer cuts it.

White people in Bermuda are struggling with the changes occurring in our society. Black people now for the first time in hundreds of years are behaving like the majority they are. And white people for the first time are beginning to experience what it is like to be a minority and, as with any change, it is resisted because it is unknown, unsettling, confusing and frightening.

CURB has had many discussions and dialogues around the status of race relations today and by and large whites believe race relations are at an all time low, whereas when I talk to people of colour they tend to believe it is better than it has ever been.

Differing perspectives

How can it be that people living so closely together on an island 21 miles long have such differing perspectives? Especially as they are always predominantly polite and friendly to each other! I believe that this difference in perceptions about race relations can be put down to primarily two things:

1. The election of the PLP in 1998 has gradually over the past 10 years led many black Bermudians to a place where they no longer fear retribution for speaking out, and naturally with that freedom there are those few who are acting out their frustrations and anger, something which historically whites in Bermuda rarely experienced.

2. Unlike many whites who view talking about racism as just going over ancient history and stirring up discontent, many blacks see the discussion around race as liberating and validating.

Any psychologist will tell you that communication is the key to a successful relationship. Surely we should see that it is just the same for people? Why do we not understand that the key is not 'race relations' but 'relationships?' All of us need to take ownership of this process and be part of the solution.

We must be aware that the legacy of the past continues to affect us all but in different ways. The legacy of slavery and segregation has manifested itself as internalized racism, and the soul searching and dialogue around this has already begun in the black community.

In the white community we live in a safe cocoon that keeps vital truths from our collective awareness. We have through our upbringing and environment been taught that white culture is the 'norm', and our way the right way to do things.

We live with institutionalized racism and benefit from white privilege, but we cannot see it and deny its existence.

We see the CURE statistics that show there are more Bermudian blacks than Bermudian whites with Bachelors Degrees, Masters Degrees and PhDs; however Bermudian whites still continue to be vastly overly represented in senior management and earn much higher incomes than blacks with the same qualifications.

We see Bermudian whites with Bachelors degrees earning more than blacks with Masters or PhDs. Yet we either ignore or deny these facts, repeat Disraeli's quote "Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics," or use the soothing words of diversity and tolerance to assure ourselves that racism no longer exists, or at the very least we are non racist. We can no longer afford to be non-racist! Whites need to become anti-racist and actively seek to educate themselves and understand the complex society we live in.

I believe that race relations are improving. Because we are at last dialoguing, discussing and talking about the issues that have kept us apart for so long. We are beginning to try and see each other's perspective. At last we are no longer invisible to each other, we are in the same room, establishing relationships, speaking honestly and trying to work things out. In fact one could say that at last we are beginning to act like a family, no doubt dysfunctional, but I have to believe with great potential.

I see this as a process full of hope for our future. n

Lynne Winfield is the President of CURB (Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda).

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