"did what they always do when the issue of race is raised -- they vented their anger, frustration and pain as they detailed their personal experiences,'' said Dr. Eva Hodgson, who co-founded the organisation in 1990.

"Some of the whites who had joined found this very difficult to hear and disappeared,'' she added.

"NAR was established at a time when former Premier Sir John Swan, his Government and almost all decision-making blacks were denying that any racism still existed, and their definite policy was to very harshly condemn, and economically penalise, anyone who dared to even raise the issue of racism and race relations,'' Dr. Hodgson said.

"They, therefore, encouraged the hardening of racial attitudes in the '80s and undermined the movements of the '60s and '70s. The NAR was formed as an organisation so that individuals who were concerned about racism and race relations could do so through an organisation and could not be so easily victimised by the Government and Government agencies.'' The organisation's goals and objectives include heightening public awareness and concern about existing racism through education, public information, and publicity, promoting and encouraging individual and group efforts designed to eliminate racism.

The NAR also acts as an umbrella group to ease up the exchange of information and experiences relating to racism, and to foster action that will promote community reconciliation.

Dr. Hodgson said since the issue of race was then officially taboo, the organisation held one or two forums a year on some aspect of the subject.

"We introduced the concept of having seminars/workshops on race relations when we brought in Pam Brown.

"In the last year we have ceased having forums because the new Human Affairs Ministry, One Hundred Black Men and other organisations began to have forums on the subject.

"However, we have continued to act as a `watchdog', writing letters to the newspaper on specific matters when they rise.

"Recently, the executive committee has decided that it wishes to return to more frequent membership meetings. We have never had the membership which we would have anticipated considering the frustration which we frequently hear expressed on the talk shows.

"However, we do believe that we are largely responsible for Government's establishing the Human Affairs Ministry in 1993, which is a proposal that, I personally, initially put forward in 1989 in a full-page advertisement in The Royal Gazette .'' Dr. Hodgson also said the environment is very different today from when the NAR was started.

"Today we have a Minister of Human Affairs, CURE and a number or organisations sponsoring workshops and seminars on race relations. The NAR, although still a very struggling organisation both in terms of membership and finances, takes much of the credit for this change. And we still believe that our existence is necessary and important.'' Dr. Hodgson added that the membership believes the NAR continues to be important because "we have seen how easy it is to co-opt even those who may have been involved in the hard won victories of very painful and costly struggles by some of those in the black community because ultimately racism is about domination and control.

"The demeaning of blacks and their honest perspective of our situation, no matter how subtle the demeaning and devaluing may be, is as essential to continued control as is the disintegration of the black community.

"Why else have all these organisations brought in foreign experts for seminars and workshops while totally ignoring and by-passing those of us who have been challenging racism for however long,'' Dr. Hodgson said.

On discussing the NAR Dr. Hodgson added that though there are other organisations the NAR is the only one established specifically and solely to address race relations and racism.

FIGHTING RACISM -- NAR founder Dr. Eva Hodgson.