We will not back down in the fight for equality

‘How good and how pleasant it would be before God and man, yea-eah! -

To see the unification of all Africans, yeah!’

— Bob Marley

Two days ago, Bermuda witnessed the words of Bob Marley coming to fruition once again. 

Two days ago, Bermudians realized that no one will save us but us. 

Two days ago, we, as Bermudians, united to stand up for not only ourselves but also for each other.

Today I share some of the thoughts of the Bermudians who went on this journey of unity. 

At Union Square around 3 pm on Wednesday, a few hundred folks, both unionized government and private sector workers, spoke about how they are glad to see other Bermudians are willing to stand up to unfair employers and government policies.  

While many workers had been fed up for a long time with how many employers are treating Bermudians, they had been waiting for others to take a stand before they, too, stood.

Once they witnessed that others felt the same way, they realized that they were not alone in their frustrations with being treated as second class citizens in their own country by business owners and the OBA government.

In the middle of Union Square, they now felt the unity of fellow Bermudians.

I was born in the year 1968, a time when legal racial segregation and unjust laws were common place in Bermuda. The oppressed peoples of Bermuda of my parents’ generation, stood up, via the unions, determined to see a better future for my generation.

I have often heard many of my elders state that Bermudians have gotten too soft and unwilling to take to the streets to stand up for themselves. No doubt many in my generation have heard the same thing. 

So when we saw our generation now standing up for ourselves, and filling that void left by our elders, it filled our hearts with pride.

I saw persons ranging in age from 20-70 walk into and around Hamilton chanting, “a people united will never be defeated”. I looked as the clenched right fists of 2,000 Bermudians stretched from Market Place to KFC. 

Along the way, hundreds of Bermudians, including school children, raised their fists in solidarity. I saw many Bermudians embracing each other in ways that would evoke a tear from persons such as Dr. E.F. Gordon, Dr. Barbera Ball, Robert Thomas, Eugene Blakeney, Dr. Clarence V. Maxwell, L. Fredrick Wade.

So many persons have dedicated their lives to ensure that Bermudians have a fair stake in their own country. We marched for them.

One day ago, the management of Hamilton Princess realized that Bermudians are not backing down in their quest for fairness and equality and took back the workers. Once we are united nothing can stop us.

To my fellow Bermudians of all shades, the same energy that we took to march and chant, we must take to help and educate one another. Once we show each other respect and love, no one can put us down.  

They don’t want us to unite. 

All they want us to do is keep on fussing and fighting.

 They don’t want to see us live together

— Bob Marley

Stand firm, Bermudians. Stand strong, Bermudians. United we stand, divided we fall. 

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