Dialogue within the black community is a critical step towards healing itself from "years of dis-empowerment", says community activist Rolfe Commissiong.

And a forum to be held at St. Paul's Centennial Hall next month intends to kick off what Mr. Commissiong hopes will be a series of discussions.

Former Police Commissioner Lennett Edwards and Bermuda Industrial Union organiser George Scott will present papers on the state of the black community. And a panel of four, including graphic designer Gavin Smith, lawyer Julian Hall, Age Concern Director Claudette Fleming and Transport Minister Ewart Brown, will discuss the issues raised.

Historian Dr. Eva Hodgson and Eugenie Simmons are also slated to present papers. Mr. Commissiong told this newspaper that the forum was necessary because of major challenges faced by the black community which have emerged over the last two years.

"These trends whether they be Bermuda's integration into the so-called global economy, current demographics, the self destructive growth of violence and drug use among our black men or the overall lack of a meaningful agenda to transform our society and thus the black community... has left increasing numbers in the black community feeling frustrated, vulnerable and marginalised," he said. The impact of Bermuda's ageing population on the black community would also be explored, he said. "Once we explore those issues in a broad way we want to explore focus on the state of black men in the community."

He added : "I've always been of the opinion that the black movement for justice, civil and human rights in the country is what gave birth to the Progressive Labour Party (PLP), a political arm of that movement, and the BIU as an industrial arm of that movement.

"But the movement in my opinion must service the vanguard which sets forth the agenda for both the political and labour arms of that movement. And at a time when there's growing dissatisfaction within the black community with the direction in which the Government is going or not going, we think it's important for the voice of the black community to be heard at this critical juncture."

Mr. Commissiong said that while some of the issues to be discussed might be painful he was hopeful that they could be discussed in an "open and forthright" manner. "In particular the marginalisation of the black man, the gender gap and the growth of the drug culture in black Bermudian life."

He said the forum to be held April 3 will be the first in a series to parallel the upcoming election campaigning, and the next one should take place in Heritage Month.