Government's race relations advisor says he was offended by comments from Sir Richard Gozney during Monday's official unveiling of the Sally Bassett monument in the Cabinet grounds.

Rolfe Commissiong described parallels the Governor drew between the 18th century slave and South Africa's Blood River monument, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and British military leader Oliver Cromwell as "insensitive and racially invidious".

"I thought the Governor's remarks were somewhat ill advised," said Mr. Commissiong. "Certainly many people of African descent thought they were somewhat insensitive. At worst, there were many that would have viewed his comments as being racially invidious.

"To equate the military career of Robert E. Lee, the confederate general whose aim was to ensure that the then confederacy of the southern US states could maintain the institution of slavery within that region, and the life of Sally Bassett who was a slave and the victim of racial repression was bizarre.

"The same would apply to the invocation of the Boer War monument that he referenced."

The Blood River monument was erected to commemorate an 1838 battle which saw Boer settlers defeat an estimated 10,000 members of the Zulu tribe and effectively end that nation.

Contacted yesterday, Sir Richard said his comments were only intended to draw attention to important parts of history.

"I accepted the invitation to the Cabinet Office ceremony (Monday) in order to support Bermuda's effort to focus people on the Island's own history," he stated. "Naturally I had no intention of offending anyone at (the) important event, which I was glad to see so well attended.

"I chose three examples of people who had not been embraced by all their fellow countrymen and women at the time when they played their historical roles, but whose importance and long lasting significance was now much more widely recognised by their countries, as evidenced by the maintenance of statues in their honour.

"It would have been easier for me to quote the example of former (South African) President Nelson Mandela, one of the very few people to have had a statue placed in London in his honour during his lifetime. That was a very welcome innovation to all of us in London when it happened some years ago. But his statue makes a different point, about praise of the contemporary, rather than recognition of those whose status has grown, and grown greatly, over the years."

More than 100 people turned out to witness Monday's unveiling. According to Mr. Commissiong, one African-American in the audience was born in North Carolina and spent decades working in Virginia, the birthplace of General Lee.

"Certainly her and the vast majority of African Americans in the state of Virginia would not have endorsed the erection of any monument or statue to a man who owned slaves and certainly fought to keep persons of African descent in bondage.

"I can't speak to what was in the Governor's heart, I can only say that his examples were not well received by those at the event that night."

However Opposition Leader Kim Swan felt that the Governor's comments, if put in the right context, were intended to recognise the suffering of all nations.

"We have to look at his comment in the context that there is now a statue on our grounds that depicted the horrific occurrences of our past. I took Sir Richard's statement as him drawing reference to other countries that have also endured such suffering.

"As we look forward, we need to look at the statue as it stands and in the hope and promise of the Lord and Saviour which parallels Sally Bassett's pain and suffering. I take hope in knowing that our Father in heaven's Son endured a similar fate for us and overcame it."

Race activist Eva Hodgson, who also attended the unveiling, said she had been "intrigued" by Sir Richard's comments.

"I wrote a note to the Governor (Monday) night and told him them I thought his comments were fascinating and I was particularly intrigued of the potential for a variety of interpretations," she said.

What Governor said...

Governor Sir Richard Gozney's speech at Monday's unveiling of the Sally Bassett Memorial left some questioning his inclusion of certain historical references.

His speech in full, as follows:

"Thank you for inviting me to be a part of the ceremony today. Sally Bassett was clearly a significant figure in the history of Bermuda. She is a figure who is still respected, and who serves as an icon for many people on the Island.

It seems to me important that any community, or in the different strands of any community, or in the deferent strands of any community, iconic figures should be given time and space of recognition. That is what I think we're doing today.

Recognition of iconic figures is important elsewhere, too. Let me give you three brief examples, one from South Africa, one from the United States and one from the United Kingdom.

BLOOD RIVER MONUMENT, SOUTH AFRICA

At Blood River in the State of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa is a bronze monument which is a life size replica of 64 covered wagons.

These wagons drawn by oxen, carried Boer settlers into that part of South Africa in the 19th century. When they were attacked by the Zulu army they formed in a circle and defended themselves.

The fact that the civilian Boer families repulsed the Zulu attack without loss of life on their own side, made the battle of Blood River an iconic event for the Boers of the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Many thought that the Blood River monument would be quickly dismantled by the new government.

It still stands today, in recognition of the importance of the symbol of Blood River for many South Africans.

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, UNITED STATES

The Confederate General Robert E. Lee was a hero to Virginians from the outset of the strife between the northern and southern states of the United States.

Here was a man who started as a Virginian hero, became a Southern hero and who, because of his strengths of character evolved into a US hero, but much, much later. An iconic figure for three sets of Americans in turn.

Some time after the Civil War the Virginians were, like other states, invited to send two statues to Washington DC and eventually they sent a bronze figure of General Robert E. Lee to Washington DC where, eventually it was installed and where I think it remains to this day.

OLIVER CROMWELL, UNITED KINGDOM

In Britain we value our monarchs and, at least for the last 500 years, have looked after them tolerably well.

We've only executed one of them, Charles I, in 1649, because he didn't respect Parliament as Parliament expected.

The man who did that, and who then led Britain without a monarch for 11 years, was Oliver Cromwell. Naturally he was a controversial figure for decades, if not for centuries, afterwards.

Now, when the British monarch rides in a stagecoach to Parliament once a year in order to give the Throne Speech, just as her coach is about to turn into Parliament, she passes a prominent statue of Oliver Cromwell there to remind everyone of his importance in the history of a certain era, (and, just perhaps, of the perils of ignoring Parliament).

An iconic figure still, to many.

I am glad to join you today in the commemoration of an iconic figure of Bermuda."