Bermuda Race Relations Initiative (BRRI) will be holding a panel discussion tonight on the theme, "I Don't See Colour: Colour Blindness... Myth or Reality".

The panel will feature Dr. Helen Neville, a professor of Educational Psychology and African American Studies from the University of Illinois.

She will be joined by Lisa Spanierman, an assistant professor from the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

The panel will take place from 7 p.m. in the Bermuda College's North Hall Lecture Theatre. A reception will precede it at 6.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, debate spurred by the last BRRI panel continues with blogger Christian Dunleavy and BRRI organiser and consultant to the Premier Rolfe Commissiong squaring off on the definition of racism.

The forum was held on April 11 and was intended for white participants only.

Following an article appearing in The Royal Gazette on the forum, blogger and former UBP candidate Christian Dunleavy took issue with the notion that 'blacks cannot be racist' through a post on his politics.bm website.

Lynne Winfield, a white woman and president of pressure group Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) was the panellist that made the comment that blacks could not be racist at the April 11 forum.

However, after she was challenged by a white audience member, she responded: "By definition, blacks cannot be racist because as a group, even though there is a black political party in power now, blacks do not have the power that whites have over blacks."

Mr. Dunleavy took issue: "It would be helpful, if we're going to have a discussion about race and racism, particularly a 'Big Conversation', if some of those placed with leading the discussions actually understood the terminology and concepts.

"... the audience member was correct — Ms Winfield is misusing the term racism.

"Racism is not an action, but a belief system.

"Racial discrimination would involve power, racism in itself does not.

"... the idea that a whole racial group cannot have members who are racist is a very destructive concept to float around as it excuses or encourages racist acts or statements by members of that group. And it actually promotes a lack of tolerance through a feeling of immunity. In fact, believing a racial group cannot itself be racist is racist."

Mr. Dunleavy's comments drew the ire of Mr. Commissiong.

He said Mr. Dunleavy is in denial about Bermuda's race problem and is attempting to distort it through rhetoric.

"I think most right-thinking black Bermudians and a growing number of white Bermudians will see Mr. Dunleavy's comments for what they are," he said. "Historically, what we have known or what has been identified as racism in Bermuda has been primarily perpetrated by Bermuda's white Anglo Saxon minority or people of British decent.

"Some whites in the community, such as Mr. Dunleavy, are seeking to distort and indulge in what I think is very pernicious rhetoric on this issue."

Mr. Commissiong said any group might act in a racist manner.

"The bottom line is that I don't think Ms Winfield nor persons like myself have ever asserted that the black community doesn't have the potential to act in a racist fashion — either institutionally or otherwise.

"But to date, based upon the historical and present day record, blacks have never done so.

"On the other hand, the historical record makes it clear that black Bermudians were the victims of racism in Bermuda, institutionally or otherwise."

When asked to respond to Mr. Commissiong's comments, Mr. Dunleavy said: "This is exactly why a discussion on race shouldn't be put in the hands of a political operative who is more interested in generating heat than light.

"Until we separate race from politics we will go nowhere."

Mr. Commissiong said that Mr. Dunleavy had been invited to sit on a BRRI but had declined.