Race adviser Rolfe Commissiong has hit back at claims Bermuda has been badly lacking a conversation on young black men.

Mr. Commissiong said the study on black youths by Columbia University Professor Ronald Mincy — released two months ago — had opened the kind of debate gang expert Dennis Watson was calling for in Monday's Royal Gazette.

In Monday's newspaper, Mr. Watson offered to help launch a discussion on youths, and seemingly belittled Mr. Commissiong's Bermuda Race Relations Initiative by saying: "For years we have had the big conversation about race, about how mean white people are and the bad things they have done. We know that."

Mr. Commissiong responded yesterday: "I vigorously resist his characterisation of that process.

"The discussion on our youths, principally our black males, has begun and will continue into 2010. There will be a full parliamentary debate or discussion on that in this new year and Government is working behind the scenes to adopt many of the recommendations."

Mr. Watson, a Bermudian motivational speaker, says he is ready to come back to the Island from New York to help solve the gun crisis which has seen four men murdered in the past month.

He says he is waiting for a response from Premier Ewart Brown on his proposal to come to the Island so he can talk to the young men and "figure out what is going wrong".

Mr. Commissiong said Mr. Watson previously approached Government with a plan that would have cost $700,000 and was deemed unrealistic.

"The door was still open to him to resubmit another proposal to Government, which he to date has failed to do," said Mr. Commissiong.

Asked whether the door remains open to Mr. Watson, the Big Conversation boss said Public Safety Minister David Burch is waiting for his proposal.

"I would never say never. No one told me the door remains closed to Mr. Watson," said Mr. Commissiong.