Community leaders are planning a series of events to mark the 400th anniversary of the first people of colour to arrive and remain in Bermuda.

They want to recognise their great contributions to the island since the first “Indian and Negro” arrived as indentured servants seven years after settlement began in 1609.

The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs is to screen a documentary, Freedom Quest by James Ziral, which examines the history of blacks in Bermuda until emancipation in 1834.

Meanwhile, George Cook, a board member of the St George’s Foundation, hopes to collaborate with historical agencies on the island to mark the anniversary.

The director of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Heather Whalen, said that the Emancipation Committee was also working on other ways to recognise the milestone.

She told The Royal Gazette: “The committee is considering what we can do to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first blacks in Bermuda because so many people of African descent have made such significant contributions to the livelihood of the country.

“It is a singularly important anniversary that shouldn’t be overlooked.

“People of African descent, despite the harshness and cruelty of slavery, have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to this community to help it become what it is today.

“That is what we would give focus to in recognising the first blacks to Bermuda in 1616.”

According to primary-source documents in the memorials of the former Governor, John Henry Lefroy, “one Indian [Nicholas Gabriel] and a Negro [Symon]” arrived on these shores at the behest of Governor Daniel Tucker, the first resident Governor of Bermuda.

While they were believed to have been brought as indentured servants to dive for pearls, many argue that their arrival represented a precursor to slavery on the island.

Freedom Quest includes interviews and discussions with figures such as historian Clarence Maxwell, who has done considerable research into the slave trade, and Dr Pauulu Kamarakafego, who played a pivotal role in universal adult suffrage.

Dr Cook said he hoped the Bermudian Heritage Museum, the African Diaspora Trail and other agencies would collaborate on anniversary projects.

“It marks the beginning of Bermuda’s cultural diversity and it needs to be celebrated,” he said. “People could write essays, stage plays and tell stories to each other.

“It doesn’t need the government to initiate it, it needs to come from many different organisations and on many different levels.”

The former college lecturer, historian and author said that the occasion should be recognised in a way that educated the community about the root causes and issues surrounding slavery.

“A lot of these anniversary celebrations can be superficial,” he said. “We need to make an attempt to understand what happened. To understand slavery, you have to understand notions of racial superiority, the role of religion in helping to sustain it and support it; you have to understand the power relations and the need for a cheap labour supply.

“For our younger people I don’t think there is enough understanding of the dynamics that are involved.

“Everyone can recite facts but those facts have to be put into a framework that lends itself to greater understanding.”

Author James Smith said: “It is important to mark the event.

“Many came in as independents and were used to do certain work but by the 1630s it had moved towards slavery and that was accentuated in the 1640s.”

Freedom Quest is screening at the World Heritage Centre on February 11 at 6pm. It is free, but anyone interested should book for a space by calling 292-1681.