June 19, 2015

Dear Sir,

It is both futile and ironic for JK Williams (RG June 17) to suggest that Bermudians not vote by the colour of skin.

Bermuda’s politics are unabashedly based on skin colour, black and white, despite the fact that Sir Edward Richards joined the UBP for the reasons that it is said that he did and despite the fact that, at the same time, the PLP invited Dorothy Thompson, a white English woman, to run in Pembroke, the “blackest” and “safest” PLP constituency, for exactly the same reason.

The actions of both were clearly futile. To put it kindly they were both at least naïve. They were both black.

The black and white divide was not introduced by blacks and therefore could not be solved by blacks.

They were whites who desired it and maintained it, as is evident by the fact that a number of blacks followed Sir Edward into the UBP but there certainly were not a number of whites who followed Dorothy Thompson into the PLP!

It is policy and legislation that could make a difference, not what happens to, or is done by, individuals. Both Sir Edward Richards and the PLP have been, or were, in a position to implement the recommendations of the Pitt report which addressed the black and white divide and the economic disparities between the races but neither did. So how serious were either of them about eliminating the black white divide?

Yours etc, EVA N HODGSON