The Progressive Labour Party is spending too much time talking about race instead of taking action to end inequality, according to activist Eva Hodgson.

Portuguese firm Correia and black American company GlobalHue have benefited from the current Government — but not struggling black Bermudian firms in serious need of help, Dr. Hodgson told The Royal Gazette.

PLP backbencher Ashfield DeVent also criticised his party for its failure to disperse contracts or put legislation in place to level the playing field.

Mr. DeVent backed his colleague Wayne Perinchief's call for seniors members to quit the racial rhetoric, in the light of Works Minister Derrick Burgess' controversial "slave's children" remark.

But Big Conversation leader Rolfe Commissiong argued Mr. Burgess was merely reacting to racism, rather than being racist.

Mr. Commissiong said the row was proof Bermuda needs to continue talks over race.

Dr. Hodgson said yesterday: "The economic disparity between the black and white community and the consequence of this which impacts solely on the black community — crime, violence, lack of housing, disintegration of the families — this is the real racial divide and not the racial rhetoric.

"In any case, the racial rhetoric would have no impact whatsoever if the economic disparity was not so blatantly obvious.

"I do not have to defend the racial rhetoric in order to suggest that those who have responded with their rhetoric and condemnation are also guilty when they assume that merely not talking about it means that we will go forward together, integrated in harmony, with or without racial rhetoric.

"There can be no true integration or moving forward together while there's the obvious economic disparity to which none of them are speaking.

"The public are indeed listening and hearing and know that they are hearing no MP with the courage to address the economic disparity or to propose legislation to address it.

"Under this Government, Correia, a Portuguese firm, has flourished; GlobalHue, a black American firm, has benefited from the Premier's affirmative action for black Americans; while Pro-Active, a black Bermudian firm, was sacked and destroyed."

Dr. Hodgson described the condemnation of racial rhetoric as "a manifestation of an even more destructive racism, because it's pretending that what is, is not".

She added: "Both sides are paying more attention to the white community than to the black community which needs the attention.

"One side attacks them, the other side supports them. And neither side is considering legislation to address the increasingly devastating impact of the economic disparity between the black and white communities."

Mr. DeVent said: "Conversation is fine, we can talk about it until we are blue in the face. But much of the action is required by leadership by using policy and legislation to right inequalities. Some will question whether that's happened far enough under the PLP."

He said of Government's distribution of contracts: "Many are still going to some who have not necessarily suffered injustice or racism."

The Pembroke South East MP said he was disappointed and concerned to hear racial rhetoric in the House of Assembly, because it shows Bermuda is stuck in the past.

"I would love to see the leaders of the Country think carefully before they choose the words they choose, even if it is a reaction to racism. Because at some point we have to move forward," he said.

"I think the measure of great leadership or effective leadership is to seriously begin to overcome those wounds and choose measured responses so the Country can move forward as one.

"It's by no means a progressive conversation. I hate to spend too much time on it even at this point. The Country has many very important issues to deal with.

"I don't know if it can be stopped. Some people have been so affected, so damaged, and are so bitter, that some of them may never change.

"Realistically, some of those ideas, concepts and behaviours will die away as they die. That's definitely a shame. That's the role of leadership: to rise over the pain."

Mr. Commissiong described Mr. Perinchief's comments as "misplaced and pernicious".

"He, like the Opposition leader, along with House members such as Grant Gibbons and Trevor Moniz, should not confuse a reaction to racism, with racism, as they routinely do.

"To do so, only trivialises and confuses the issue and is viewed by a significant majority of black Bermudians as a tactic which is insulting, much like their race card talk.

"He would have been far better placed in regard to the issue of the comments uttered in the Parliament by Ministers Burch and Burgess — in both cases provoked by Opposition counterparts — by using the occasion to illustrate why a conversation on the issue of race and racism is still vitally relevant and important for Bermuda.

"Kim Swan also bears watching, the woeful ignorance demonstrated by his use of the term 'racist' to characterise Minister Burgess' comment was also woefully inappropriate and betrays an ignorance of the subject which is breathtaking — perhaps intentionally so on his part — as he should surely know better."

He said the UBP had pledged to start its own conversation on race in its 2009 response to the Throne Speech but "the Country is still waiting".

"This can only fuel speculation — not without some evidence — that what the United Bermuda Party and its largely white support base would prefer, would be that no conversation takes place at all."

A UBP spokesman last night said Mr. Commissiong was trying to distract from criticism recently levelled at Mr. Burgess and Public Safety Minister David Burch.

"Rolfe Commissiong is a paid political operative of the Premier and his statement today is simply an effort to distract Bermuda from the original issue, which is that the words spoken by Ministers Burch and Burgess were insulting and disrespectful and in clear breach of Parliamentary rules," said the statement.

"Once Mr. Commissiong agrees to that, we are more than ready to engage with him."