editorial has been written by a black woman who is on the senior editorial staff of The Royal Gazette . When it comes to racism, it seems the only thing Bermudians are willing to agree on is that it does exist in Bermuda.

Barring that admission, there appears to be much confusion over the issue and no solution in sight.

The debate this newspaper rekindled on the topic this week, shows that the community is still divided on the definition of racism and on examples of racism.

In a letter to us, quoted in yesterday's editorial, a young white woman complained about T-shirts which were on sale at CultureFest, an unprecedented two-day event promoting "unity in the community'' by offering people the opportunity to learn about the Island's diverse cultures for free.

It appears the woman was offended by several of the messages on the T-shirts, which included "Never Forgive'', "Never Forget'', "African Holocaust'', and "Black Power''.

"Could I have misunderstood the intent of these shirts and the message which they extended?'' she wrote. "In my opinion, these types of shirts have no place in an event where acceptance and tolerance of other cultures, races, and ethnicities is being expressed and encouraged.

"I believe in freedom of expression and that it is every individual's right to wear what they want, but is the intent of these events not to set aside prejudice and learn about different cultures and people? "It makes me ponder the state of our Country when we systematically allow certain individuals to disguise racism as cultural enlightenment and educating one's people on the injustice done to them.'' The woman's comments come on the heels of complaints about the upcoming Black Masters golf tournament and other events organised by blacks.

Some whites say these are just more examples of reverse racism.

And they question the fairness of blacks being allowed to promote "exclusively black'' events, when segregation is illegal.

They argue that if whites were to do the same, there would be an uproar.

However, many black Bermudians -- like PLP MP Ms Renee Webb in yesterday's newspaper -- do not believe that holding black events or wearing T-shirts about the black experience is a slight on whites.

Concerning black events, Ms Webb says: "While whites may get offended because an event or something is called `black', whites often don't have to call (a similar event or thing) white because it is white.'' She adds that in any event whites were not excluded by law from the golf classic which is expected to involve more than 100 black American businessmen.

Like Ms Webb, many blacks view such events as an much-needed avenue for blacks to build self-esteem and to network.

For years, and in some cases to this day, whites have flocked to sports clubs, schools, and events where they feel comfortable and their needs are met.

And many see nothing wrong with doing that.

People tend to gravitate toward groups, places, or situations with which they can identify.

This is what holding events such as the Black Masters golf tournament and the annual Black Achievement Awards is all about, many blacks say.

And at the end of the day it should not matter what the event is called, as long as each segment of the community can build up its members' self-esteem and teach respect for others' differences.

Concerning the T-shirts, most black youngsters wear black-related messages on them to promote black pride and self-empowerment.

And some simply wear them because they are in style.

However, some youngsters do sport T-shirts with hate messages which are not condoned by most of the black community. But we believe they are a minority and often it is their way of expressing bitterness against a community, which, rightly or wrongly, they believe has failed them.