The “extraordinary legacy” of a racial justice advocate came to the fore at a Celebration of Life event at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Hamilton yesterday.

While paying tribute to the late Eva Hodgson, the Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, said the civil rights advocate was “fearless, faithful and a fighter for racial justice”.

She died on May 29, 2020.

He said the event — which was organised by Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda — was not only meant to celebrate Dr Hodgson’s activism but the “whole person” who, he noted, left an “extraordinary legacy”.

Bishop Dill added: “We are going to remember the roots of her extensive justice and her faith, her contributions towards fostering awareness as a scholar, an educator and an advocate.”

Bishop Dill, who led the tributes in front of a congregation of relatives, friends and wellwishers, said he personally knew Dr Hodgson, describing her as a giant in the fight for her cause.

He added: “I think there were some surprises for both of us in our interactions.”

He noted that the two often discussed challenges around race in Bermuda.

“Our conversations were as if they were like a brother and a sister in the faith,” he said.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, and opposition MP Scott Pearman were among those who attended.

Mr Darrell said Dr Hodgson “never flinched from the harsh truths”.

He added: “She called things by their names and she believed that no real progress would be made without first confronting injustice directly.”

Mr Darrell said her life was not defined by titles, but by purpose.

He noted that she was one of the first Black Bermudians to earn a doctorate.

He said her lifelong activism, including being a founding member of the National Association for Reconciliation and a council member of Curb, set the foundation for continuing social justice work.

After earning her doctorate in African and African-American history, she returned to the island and took up the role of co-ordinator of oral history and cultural preservation at the Ministry of Education from 1983 to 1990.

Mr Darrell said she was responsible for overseeing the history programmes of the ministry, and she worked to introduce human rights into the school curriculum.

He said her legacy was carried forward by some of her relatives, including her late brother, Arthur Hodgson, a former lawyer who also served as environment minister in the Progressive Labour Party government.

He said her niece, former senator Arianna Hodgson, continued her late aunt’s legacy and took her sense of duty and courage in her work, traits that he said were similar to those of her late aunt.

Lynne Winfield, former head of Curb, called Dr Hodgson a woman of integrity and principle.

She said: “Her sense of justice, the love of her people and her country drove her to activism, and she was an indomitable spirit.”

She said Dr Hodgson was part of Bermuda’s Black liberation struggle during the 1950s and the 1980s.

Ms Winfield said when she arrived in Bermuda in 1974, she quickly began to hear of Dr Hodgson through her numerous letters to the editor in the newspapers.

She said: “The powers that be considered her a troublemaker. She was attacked, condemned and maligned in the press.”

However, she said Dr Hodgson persevered and fought for her cause without fear.

Angelita Dill, Dr Hodgson’s niece, said there were “some slight differences” in how the family knew the late advocate when compared with her public image.

She said Dr Hodgson was shy and spoke little around the home.

She said that as a young woman, when Dr Hodgson’s siblings would go out to play, she would remain indoors reading.

Ms Dill said: “She was well stocked with books all the time. She was an information character, reading multiple books at the same time.

“She watched the news on multiple devices; she would have three TVs going and there would be three news stations on. I don’t know how she followed, but she did.”

She recalled that when Dr Hodgson was off the island, her family members would have the tough task of collecting editions of different newspapers “because she wanted to make sure that if one forgot something, the other had it”.

With a chuckle, she said she and her relatives never “truly appreciated this task” but eventually Dr Hodgson made a delivery arrangement with The Royal Gazette.

She said her aunt was an avid soap opera fan, who loved dolls and invested in a company in the United States that made Black dolls.

Ms Dill said one of her fondest memories of her late aunt was her laughter when she discovered she was wrong.

“That was one of the things that I loved about her the most,” she said. “She was absolutely brave and courageous.”