A seminar in Hamilton tonight aims to “educate, inform and empower” Bermudians studying abroad in how to deal correctly with law enforcement.

The free-to-attend session, from 6pm at the Chewstick Culture Hub, is in response to the ongoing racial tensions in the United States between police and the black community.

According to The Guardian newspaper, 1,134 black men aged 15 to 34 were killed by police last year — a rate five-times higher than white men within the same age demographic.

This month alone saw the fatal shootings by officers of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, with both men believed to have been unarmed when they were killed. These events sparked mass protests across the country and, during a “Black Lives Matter” rally in Dallas, Texas, lone gunman Micah Johnson killed five police officers in a revenge attack. Hosted by community activists Dwayne and Wayne Caines, tonight’s seminar is geared towards students of all ethnicities and the problems they may encounter while studying in any foreign country.

Dwayne Caines said that this month’s racial turmoil had left Bermudians with children studying in the United States fearful that their son or daughter could be singled out next.

“Our goal is to use the unrest that’s happening in the United States as an opportunity to educate all students — especially black males — on critical ways to deal with law enforcement,” Mr Caines said.

“We’ll be covering issues such as how to interact if you are stopped by a police officer, what to do if you’re falsely accused and how not to inadvertently get yourself targeted or profiled.”

He added that young black students often also encounter problems with immigration and customs officials when abroad. “The stark reality is that when our students travel, specifically young black men, they are sometimes treated unfortunately,” Mr Caines said. “There are very few men of colour who travel who don’t have a story. My brother and I have had very unpleasant experiences, both in our school days and even now, travelling with our families.”

Mr Caines hopes that this evening’s seminar will help allay students’ fears while abroad, as well as making their future interactions with authorities “as positive as they can be”.

He added: “Recent events in the United States have reminded us of the work that must be done to open people’s hearts and minds, to respect and love each other. But it has also reminded us that a negative community experience can offer an opportunity to make a positive impact.”

For more details e-mail dwaynecaines@yahoo.com