Hundreds gathered at the Anglican Cathedral this past Thursday to pay their last respects to Clarence James.

He was an outstanding Bermudian who distinguished himself in his chosen profession as a highly competent and proficient medical practitioner and surgeon.

He was also a highly astute and capable politician and a longstanding member of Parliament.

Dr James was a man of humble beginnings. His life journey began some 84 years ago.

His father Jonathan James, who was a man of sterling character, encouraged his family in the pursuit of hard work and superlative academic achievement in the midst of the entrenched social, political, economic and racial disparity which existed at that time in Bermuda.

As a young teenager, Clarence James distinguished himself as a high academic achiever, securing the highest marks on his Cambridge Certificate as a student at the Berkeley Institute.

As a recipient of the Bermuda Technical Scholarship, Clarence James went on to distinguish himself as an outstanding scholar.

He commenced studies at McGill University in 1949, successfully qualifying as a medical practitioner and surgeon some five years later.

He became the first black Bermudian to qualify as a specialised surgeon.

Upon his return to the island during the 1950s he set up practice in the City of Hamilton and was able to garner, over a period of four decades, a very large clientele.

It was indeed a watershed moment on October 11, 1967, when Dr James entered the local political arena with a speech titled, “Are We Being Used?”.

The central content of the speech articulated the legacy of systemic racism that pervaded every sector of society, from the initial days of colonisation and how it continued to impact modern day life in Bermuda.

The paradox of the matter is that the speech was delivered to an audience of largely white Bermudians who were ardent supporters of the United Bermuda Party led by political mandarin and banker, Sir Henry Tucker. It was indeed a turbulent period, which subsequently led to riots and social skirmishes and the election of Dr James as a UBP member of Parliament.

Dr James had a long and successful political career which spanned over a period of two decades, in which he served as Deputy Premier and in several cabinet posts including Minister of Finance.

Independent of his professional and political careers, Dr James served as the Provincial Grand Master from 1989-1994 of the Irish Lodges in Bermuda.