An unprecedented workshop on racism is getting rave reviews from participants. The workshops, sponsored by the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE) and the Human Rights Commission, were for whites only.

The idea raised eyebrows and some criticism among the white and black communities. But by all accounts the workshops succeeded in confronting the participants with their inherited privileges and left them better equipped to work towards removing the last vestiges of institutional racism in Bermuda.

"I think we delivered," said facilitator Allan Clarke. "I think we provided the safe environment in which these subjects could be addressed."

About nine people attended each two day workshop which took place at the end of June.They were organised in a structured format designed to take the participants through various levels of awareness in a non-threatening environment, explained Mr. Clarke.

"At the end of the day, I think it proved a positive experience for the participants. They were... aware of the concerns which surround racism particularly in Bermuda and they felt that value had been added to the experience."

Thad Hollis, assistant vice president of human resources and labour relations at Bermuda Telephone Company was one of the participants. He said that he had initially dismissed the idea when he first saw it advertised.

"I was actually annoyed to think that we would have a seminar on racism purely for white people. I believed in the necessity of a dialogue between the races," he said. But after further thought he decided that he should take advantage of it as a new learning opportunity.

"I found that I was in a room of like minded people - that we were all there for the same purpose. We wished to work to move beyond the barriers that racism had created and it was a very uplifting and rewarding experience".

The 39 year old father of two teenagers said the whites only format gave an opportunity to acknowledge and discuss the legacy of slavery for the white community and the fact that he had inherited advantages as a result of Bermuda's racist past.

"If you go back 200 years my ancestors had slaves. I had no power over that but it set in motion other things," he told The Royal Gazette. "That's what the seminar did. It sort of said what does it mean to be white. What is white culture? Where does it come from? It raised a lot of questions which I don't have answers to - it made me examine again."

Furthermore Mr. Hollis said, the seminar filled in gaps in his knowledge about Bermuda's history - things that just were not taught at school such as details of the theatre boycott and the "movers and shakers" of the movement to integrate education.

Mr. Hollis added that he was forced to examine whether he held racist principles himself.

"It was a positive confrontation... self examination is always a good place to start."

Asked whether CURE was considering holding such workshops in the future the facilitator Allan Clarke said: "Certainly these were two first time attempts and I think it is a valuable experience and if word gets out that it is a non threatening environment... and it allows people to come to terms with dealing with race and their whiteness.. then I do believe it should be held in the fall."

He said that some doubts had been raised about the fact that it was a whites only workshop.

"We tend to have our own particular way in which we deal with and think about this situation and all we were doing was addressing alternative ways in which this can be done.

"And if we become aware of the part that we play in the perpetuation of racism then as white people we can develop and grow and develop strategies on how we handle this as long as we realise that this is just one step along the line."