A charity dedicated to tackling racism has urged action to restore and protect a historical cemetery in Tucker’s Town.

Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda said that it welcomed calls in the House of Assembly for meaningful action to honour families harmed by land grabs, proposing that the gravesite be recognised as a natural heritage site with descendants and affected families put at the centre of decisions about its future.

A Curb spokeswoman said in a statement: “Reparations asks us to acknowledge what happened, listen to those who continue to carry its impact and take responsibility for meaningful repair.

“At Tucker’s Town, this means honouring the people buried there, recognising the community that was displaced and ensuring that descendants have a central voice in how their history is remembered.”

The graves at Tucker’s Point, which lie beneath the hotel’s golf course, are the final resting place of an unknown number of mostly Black residents who lived at Tucker’s Town from the early 19th century, around the time of Emancipation, onwards.

When the community was forced to leave the area in 1920 to make way for tourism development, the cemetery fell into disrepair, but the site was rededicated in 1996 by Marsden Church and renamed the Marsden Methodist Memorial Cemetery.

While the site became an historic Protection Area under the Bermuda Plan 2008, tombstones were demolished in October 2012, sparking an investigation and report by the Ombudsman.

The Curb spokeswoman said that the Ombudsman’s recommendations included community conversations and contributions towards reconstruction from the decision-makers who agreed to the demolition and the Government, whose inaction enabled it.

She added: “These recommendations provide a foundation for renewed discussion and action.

“Curb calls for a transparent review of progress on those recommendations, followed by a publicly communicated plan identifying responsibilities, resources and a timetable for restoration, protection, respectful access and ongoing care.

“Consultation should bring together descendants, the Tucker’s Town Historical Society, Marsden First United Methodist Church, Tucker’s Point representatives, Curb, relevant government departments, heritage organisations, historians and the wider community.

“Historical and conservation expertise should support a process that respects the wishes, knowledge and experiences of affected families.”

The charity also said it encourages the preservation of family testimony to help teach the history of Tucker’s Town and allow young Bermudians to understand both the injustice experienced by those affected and the strength of the community that lived there.

The spokeswoman said: “Healing requires us to make room for painful truths and respond with care and action.

“Restoring this sacred site would be a tangible expression of respect for our ancestors and their descendants. It would also demonstrate our willingness, as a community, to repair harm and build a more just future together.

“Curb invites Bermudians to add their voices to this call for remembrance and repair.

“The organisation stands ready to support restorative community conversations that help turn acknowledgement into action.”

Last month, during a debate on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Historical Land Losses, David Burt, the Premier, said that the Government would move forward with physical memorials for the displaced communities of both Tucker’s Town and St David’s.

He told the House that the specific form and location of the memorials would be determined after consultation.