equality is to be achieved.

That was the message on Wednesday from Shadow Human Affairs Minister Ms Renee Webb in a major policy speech on race.

"The race problem in Bermuda must no longer be seen as a black problem and left up to us to solve,'' she said. "It must be seen as an `us' problem, and white people must join in the fight to end discrimination.'' Speaking to Hamilton Lions, she outlined steps needed to boost "racial inclusion and equity''.

Employers should be encouraged to reflect the diversity of society in their management and on their boards, she said.

Schools should be encouraged to teach history from the Afro-Caribbean, black Bermudian and Portuguese points of view, not just from the European perspective.

Negative stereotypes about race in the media needed to be "monitored'', including insensitive ads placed by local companies.

If she were Minister, she said, she would encourage "race relations workshops or anti-racist seminars'' in schools and workplaces, perhaps run by the National Association for Reconciliation.

"We need to be sensitised as to what is racial discrimination, and encouraged, wherever possible, to modify behaviour.'' She said she would also dust off previous reports on race.

Ms Webb, newly-elected MP for Hamilton East, estimates she is one-quarter Italian. She spent nine years in France before coming back to Bermuda and setting up in business.

Yesterday she revealed she was "ecstatic'' when Opposition Leader Mr.

Frederick Wade gave her the Human Affairs job.

"Discussion of discrimination in any form in Bermuda is not a comfortable task,'' she said. "This is largely due to the fact that there are the victims of discrimination and there are the perpetrators of discrimination, and there appear to be those completely unaware of its existence and impact.

"We seldom hear from the perpetrators. Rather than having any dialogue on the subject of discrimination we tend to get monologue, that is, those discriminated against speaking out in protest.

"There is a mistrust that exists between the races in Bermuda because there are so many things that we have not dealt with yet.

"Until the white community is willing to embrace the problem of racism, I don't see us getting very far.'' In an RG Magazine story on race, only four comments out of 163 came from white Bermudian men. "Where are our white Bermudian brothers? We need to hear more from them.'' The key problem in tackling racism would be convincing the majority of white people that ending it would benefit the whole community.

Whatever programmes were set up, they had to be seen to benefit all Bermudians.

Ms Webb said black people had integrated themselves into every white institution. But white people had not joined anything black in large numbers.

"We understand what it's like to be white because we have been socialised in a white world,'' she said, adding whites did not understand what it was like to be black.

"Nothing has been given to black people. It's been their struggle for recognition.'' Equality did not mean black people taking resources from white people, she said. It meant black people feeling part of society.

"There are too many people who perceive that they are not part of the system, and we're seeing the result right now in the increase in drugs and crime.

"People are copping out of the system , young black males in particular, because they don't feel part of society.'' The new race relations division of the Human Rights Commission should stand alone and be given support and authority, she said.

Otherwise it could become an "abysmal failure'' like the 1969 Race Relations Council.

She wished new Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill well, but she was puzzled by his announcement that he would be gathering information.

Information had already been gathered by many past official studies, she said.