A local school and its alumni have teamed with a school in the Caribbean to promote unity, and honour the memory of the victims and survivors of the Middle Passage.

The Millennium Arch, a replica of which stands on the grounds of the St Croix Educational Complex in the United States Virgin Islands, is a testament to the millions lost in the brutal sea crossing during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

“This gives us a framework to talk about issues such as forgiveness, emancipation and the healing process,” said Corin Smith of the Emperial Group, which has partnered with Saltus Grammar School and its alumni for the initiative known as the “Brand New Beginning”.

The timing is fitting: the upcoming celebration of Cup Match is deeply rooted in honouring enslaved ancestors and their legacy after the emancipation of August 1, 1834.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Bermuda’s Constitution, Mr Smith explained.

The 15-foot arch in St Croix is a replica of the monument placed on the sea floor in 1999 in tribute to the victims of the Middle Passage over the 400 years that Africans were forced into slavery in the New World.

“We have adopted the school, which has had the replica since 2007,” Mr Smith said. “We had initially commissioned it to come to Bermuda but were unable to bring it here.

“We’re joining that school with Saltus and informing each school and its community about the history of the monument — and using that shared curriculum to share with other schools.”

A 1985 alumnus of Saltus, Mr Smith took the school’s annual Founder’s Day in June as an occasion to launch the programme, aimed at celebrating diversity with a commitment to racial unity.

It was also given the blessing of the Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, Bishop of Bermuda — another Saltus alumnus.

Mr Smith was the Bermuda representative of the Homeward Bound Foundation that first brought the Middle Passage monument to its resting place in international waters.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Saltus itself to be part of a broader commitment to racial unity,” said John Beard, deputy head of the school.

“We also need Saltus to shine as an example of world-class leadership.”

Mr Smith said that the Millennium Arch Project represented a chance to imagine “a Brand New Bermuda” that was at peace with its racial inheritance.

“The Brand New Beginning at Saltus will be focused on the 130th Anniversary Founders Day in 2018,” Mr Smith added.

“The new academic school year will see initial moves to help build regional awareness and acceptance of the role that our young people will play in creating a culture of reconciliation and forgiveness. Saltus is dedicated to providing the right tools and leadership to help them heal the wounds of the past.

“Over the next two years, culminating in 2019, the Emperial Group will also be working with Saltus and the public school system to offer a range of ‘Brand New Beginning’ solutions to the international community.”