A special display recognising Bermudians “who played a significant role in building the social fabric of our island” opened in Hamilton this week.

The mini exhibition will run in the Washington Mall until February 29 and features four Black Bermudians, each with a link to the City of Hamilton, who made a positive difference in Bermuda.

The City partnered with the Bermuda National Trust to curate the exhibit, with assistance from the Bermuda National Library and the Bermuda Archives.

It features John Henry Thomas Jackson, Brother William “Syke” Smith, William Henry Thomas Joell and Blanche Louise Smith.

Jessica Astwood, the City’s director of marketing and communications, said: “We wanted to showcase impactful exhibits for Black History Month this year in the hopes of educating the public on the legacy and rich history of those who played a significant role in building the social fabric of our island and capital city.

“These stories are important, and we are proud to highlight them.

“We decided to choose Bermudians with strong ties to the City and celebrate their contributions to Bermuda and the Black community.

“What stood out to us about the selected individuals was how different and distinct their contributions and lives were.”

She said that Mr Smith was a Black Bermudian architect who designed the Colonial Opera House — one of Bermuda’s grandest buildings at the time — having never left Bermuda nor received any formal training.

Meanwhile, Ms Smith was a City resident who made significant contributions to the nursing field.

Mr Joell was Bermuda's first Black Member of Parliament and was one of the founding members of the Berkeley Educational Society.

“We also featured one of Mr Joell’s contemporaries, John Henry Thomas Jackson, who was a local Hamilton businessman and resident and the second Black member of the House of Assembly,” Ms Astwood added.

She said that much of the information for the display was sourced from the book Hamilton Town and City, published by the Bermuda National Trust.

To further commemorate Black History Month, the City has painted the King Street quote wall black for the month and added a quote from City chief executive Dwayne Caines, which says: “Strength lies in our roots, resilience in our history and courage in our Bermudian spirit.

“Let’s honour our past, to inspire our future.”