At around 10 a.m. tomorrow, the first ball will be bowled at Somerset Cricket Club as the Island’s best cricketers again battle for the most coveted cup in Bermuda sports.

For the cricketers, this is about bragging rights, the potential to collect a little extra cash if they get among the runs and the chance to get their name inscribed in the record books.

For the wider community, the holiday means much more than that.

It was begun by rival Masonic lodges in the East and West Ends of the Island to commemorate Emancipation and in recent years, this aspect of “the Game” has, rightly, been given greater exposure. This year, that aspect of the holiday has greater relevance because this marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, although not the institution of slavery itself.

The holiday also celebrates Somers Day, which marks the beginning of the settlement of the Island following the wreck of the Sea Venture.

As we said two years ago, this is a holiday in which all Bermudians can take pride, because it celebrates the two most important dates in the Island’s history: the founding of the Island and the beginning of the recognition that all people are indeed created equal and have equal rights.

The full establishment of those rights took more than another century, and Bermuda is still grappling with the legacy of slavery and segregation in terms of equality of opportunity and the fact that whites have a disproportionate share of both wealth and earnings power compared to blacks.

Today those differences manifest themselves in different ways. The recent upsurge in violent crime may not be directly linked to economic differences, but the fact that the victims and quite possibly the perpetrators are young black men shows the extent to which race plays a part in crime and economics. The fact that the vast majority of inmates in prison are also black underlines the same point.

It can be argued that this has more to do with class than race, but the reality is that the bulk of Bermuda’s poorer people are black. That does not mean that there are no poor whites, but the reality is that a person born black in Bermuda is more likely to be under-privileged compared to his or her white counterpart.

It would also be unwise to suggest that if Bermuda solves its racial differences that crime will disappear. Some people will always be criminals for any number of reasons.

But it is likely that a community in which opportunities are better shared will also be a society in which people are less likely to be alienated. And a better educated and better trained population is almost certain to have less crime. Why would someone with a good job and better prospects risk throwing it away for a crime?

The best answer lies in education and training. It is not the only answer and employers report that young people coming back to Bermuda with their degrees or qualifications are frustrated when they are not running the business within days of being hired.

But it is a start and can be a wonderful beginning for Bermudians in an economy where they should be able to write their own ticket.

To be sure, Cup Match is about relaxing with friends, enjoying the sun and of course, cricket. But it is a holiday founded on a dream which can still be realised. It is a dream of a tolerant and civic-minded people living in a paradise founded on self-reliance and equality. It is a dream worth realising.