Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) is calling for an official apology to blacks from the white community.

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Saturday, CURB appealed for a public atonement to black Bermudians.

Lynne Winfield, president of CURB, made the following statement at City Hall: "The time has come for a clear and unequivocal apology from the white community to the black community of this Island."

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been commemorated by the United Nations since 1966, to mark the day police killed 69 people in Sharpeville, South Africa, taking part in a peaceful anti-Apartheid demonstration.

The statement by Ms Winfield said: "The recognition of this day in Bermuda has become a tradition.

"We gather, make eloquent speeches, see a few words printed in the press the next day, and then we move on with our lives and most rarely give this subject another thought.

"However, that was the way it used to be. Not now. Now we have a variety of initiatives insisting that this subject stays on our agenda.

"These initiatives, welcomed by some and maligned by others, indicate that Bermuda has taken its first hopeful steps towards truly eliminating racial discrimination.

"No longer is March 21 the one day of the year we think about ending racial discrimination and improving race relations, now we are actively working towards that goal on a daily basis. Statistics clearly show how the legacy of racism continues to affect the lives of Bermudians of colour. The structural racism that continues to exist in our society, often unknowingly and without intent, continues to prevent us from reaching true racial equity.

"Racial inequity is a reality in Bermuda and this is in direct relation to the hundreds of years of slavery, followed by years of segregation and denial of rights.

"So concrete action must be taken to repair the imbalance and that includes rectifying past mistakes and expressing sincere regret for the way Bermudians of colour have been made to feel for hundreds of years.

"The time has come for a clear and unequivocal apology from the white community to the black community of this Island. Any psychologist will tell you that rectifying a negative situation begins with taking responsibility and saying 'I'm sorry'. If a party won't do that, any hope for true reconciliation is slim.

"This is not about white people taking on guilt for the past, it's about openly acknowledging the tragedy of the past; individually taking responsibility for our future together, and understanding that as white people we have benefited from the racist ideals this country was founded on.

"As such the white members of CURB apologise to Bermudians of colour for the legacy of colonialism racism; we apologise for the inhumanity and injustice suffered by Bermudians of colour in the past; we acknowledge the enormous contributions that have been made to Bermuda, both voluntary and enforced, by Bermudians of colour; and we promise to seek ways to bring about true racial equity and social justice in our society.

"An apology is the starting point in a journey of hope and reconciliation. It opens our hearts to the truth and allows us to truly see one another.

"As Nelson Mandela said, 'Incomplete and imperfect as the process may be, it shall leave us less burdened by the past and unshackled to pursue a glorious future'."