EXODUS #EDUCATE #ENLIGHTEN #EMPOWER

Issue #003

2001001

FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED

DID YOU KNOW

Iron Sharpens Iron

Opinion by Truneh Flood

First giving all honour and praise to the

almighty creator, Yahweh Binah, Yahweh My
Wisdom, Yahweh my Overstanding. Bohena
Yah, Come Oh Jah. I greet you all with a
perfect peace and perfect love. Shalom.
Shalom.
The African descendants at home and
abroad face a unique dilemma when
confronted with the vast panorama of
history, knowledge, spiritual belief systems
and cultural identities directly relevant to us
as a nation and as a people. This however has
been eclipsed with the direct assault of us as
a people, not only physically, psychologically,
culturally, economically and mentally; but
most importantly spiritually.

Civilization. Most avid African history

students of this age garnered their first grasp
of Africas true self through his writings, as
have I. Yet some endeavor to be divisive,
intrigued based on historical evidence as it
were. Historical teachers are historical
teachers. Spiritual teachers are spiritual
teachers. Philosophers are philosophers.
Knowledge is good if it brings us as a
community to a unified from. Iron sharpens
Iron. We as Bermudian have been reared in
Christian themed lifestyles. But even this has
allowed divisiveness and discord to flood our
nation. We are now separated with the very
thing that should unite us. With our division
is only weakness.

It is truly a wonder and amazement we have

a mind left at all! Still we rise. The diversity,
however of our oasis of knowledge has led to
divisive discourse where there should be
harmony. As our Honourable King Solomon
said, knowledge putteth up. It causes the
historical followers to say the spiritual
followers are following foreign belief
systems.

May we endeavor that in our quest for

knowledge,
enlightenment
and
empowerment, that we can embrace the
beauty and power of our magnificent
diversity in all its aspects - be it historical,
cultural or spiritual.

Yet one of the greatest historians of our age,

Dr Yosef ben-Jochannan wrote a very
celebrated book Africa: Mother of Western

I leave you as I greeted you, with a perfect

peace and perfect love. Shalom. Shalom.

So much more than slavery

It is the second largest continent in the world. It is 11.7
million square miles. Which means Bermuda can fit in
508,695.66 times. It has a population of 1.1 billion
people (as of 2013). It is made up of 54 countries and 9
territories. There are well over a thousand languages
spoken.
Paleoanthropologists believe it to be the oldest
inhabited territory on Earth. Studies show that Human
species originated from this magnificent continent and
remnants of civilization date back as far at 3300 BC, to
great nations such as Nubia and Egypt.
It is truly the mother of western civilization. Its people
are among the most beautiful on earth. And, believe it
or not, YOU are a direct descendant of its splendour.

MAMA AFRICA!

EXODUS #EDUCATE #ENLIGHTEN #EMPOWER | Issue #003

Breaking down
colourism
Opinion by Cherri Jones

What is colorism? Is it different than racism? Lets look at the meaning of these two words?
Racism: hatred or intolerance of another race.
Colorism: prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a different skin tone.
So basically, Racism is one races feelings of superiority over another race, but colorism is a prejudice
towards someone of your own race, based on how dark their skin tone is.

One thing we as black people can agree on is racism, but colorism is so well breed into us we dont even
realize that we are exhibiting it or passing down these harmful beliefs to our children.
I have two daughters, the eldest one with light skinned, long wavy hair, greenish hazel eyes, and Native American features mixed with her black and
white heritage. The youngest is also light skinned but has dark brown eyes, courser hair then her sister and I, her facial features resemble that of a
black girl. Too often people walk up to me and say how stunning my eldest is, they make a fuss about her eyes, her hair, asking if her father is 'Indian'
(Native American) and then notice my other daughter with a oh she is pretty too comment. It irks me to death. Unintentionally people are telling my
children that you are only beautiful if you have more European or another race mixed in you. I tell both my daughters they are beautiful black women
and not because they have mixture in them.
I find it very interesting that colorism isnt an issue in the white community but people of color fight with its affects every day.The truly sad part is that
when we do get into a conversation about colorism, its as if it only affects black women. Black men exit stage left. Black men are either silent or
complicit on this issue and how it affects them or their role into it.
As a light skinned black, I have been the token black girlfriend of black men who want to prove that they dont just date white women. I get told how
beautiful my eyes are (they are blue) or my hair. It leaves me wondering, are you dating me for the white in me? Because the things my black brothers
find so attractive about me are all because of my white DNA.
As our black men claim that they have a preference for light skin women, what is it that they are really saying? What are they unintentionally telling us
black women? That our black isnt beautiful? To be considered beautiful you
must resemble a European?
I often wonder if the local weather girl was dark skinned would Bermudian men
still think she was attractive. If she had courser hair that was styled in a fro would
they still swoon?
Colorism isnt limited to black women, and too much focus is placed on how
black women are either participants or victims. Its as if the black community
forgets that there are men in the community and expects colorism to be solved
on the backs of the women. I was hard pressed to find any good in-depth articles
about men and colorism as I did for women, they even did a docu-series, Dark
Skinned Girls and Light Skinned Girls, both shown on the OWN networks.
Colorism is being treated as if it is solely a womans issue.
But I know it cant be because type in dark skinned vs light skinned in the search
engine image search and several memes have been created about our men,
more so than our women. Our light skinned brothers are being made out to
appear soft, feminine, pretty boys and overly sensitive while our dark skinned brothers are portrayed as ugly, criminals, desperate and unwanted by
black women.
I wondered why we can have open and honest conversation about colorism as women but men run from the conversation. Then I came across an
Ebony article written by Gerren Keith Raynor, in which he said Colorism isnt unique to the constructs of femininity and beauty, and it certainly
doesnt just exist in a womans world. While its apparent that Black women undergo far more complex vulnerabilities, we far too often delegate
women as the sole bearers of the effects of colorism, and that could not be more far from the true. Unfortunately, the macho hegemonistic
environment we create for Black men prevents us from properly expressing our true feelings, leaving many of us in silence - which is just as deadly.
And it made sense to me why. Im not a man nor will I pretend to know how to solve men issues, but I felt the topic needs to be opened in the black
community. I hear too often phrases like pretty hair, I only date light skinned girls or pretty eyes. We need to take a deep look at how we are
perpetuating colorism and self-hate in our own families, children and selves. We have to stop looking outside ourselves for an acceptable standard of
beauty and remember we arent beautiful in spite of our blackness but because we
are black.
*First Published in Today in Bermuda (revised for Exodus Bermuda)

EXODUS #EDUCATE #ENLIGHTEN #EMPOWER | Issue #003

You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:6
Our mission is to educate, enlighten and empower the Black Bermudian community, in an effort to discover and embrace our history, our identity and
our role in our society. Our purpose is to journey with our people along the path to self-discovery and awareness. Just as the Israelites left Egypt, the
land of physical captivity, its time for us to leave our state of mental slavery. Tis sweet to be freeThis newsletter is dedicated to discussing the issues
that matter to our community. Helping one another to understand how we fit into the bigger picture of society and what we can do to ensure that
we our home, our families and our culture is protected and preserved.
Join us as we walk in freedom and empowerment. For information about the movement or to sign up for our newsletter, please email us at
exodusbermuda@gmail.com.

Sacrifice
Opinion by: Kashtakhuyare
Genesis chapter 22
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and
said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. 2 Then He said,
Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the
land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains of which I shall tell you. 3 So Abraham rose early in the
morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with
him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and
arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the
third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And
Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a]
and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you. 6 So
Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his
son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them
went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My
father! And he said, Here I am, my son. Then he said, Look, the fire
and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 And
Abraham said, My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a
burnt offering. So the two of them went together.9 Then they came to
the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there
and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him
on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand
and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to
him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! So he said, Here I
am.12 And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to
him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from Me.13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and
looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its
horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt
offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the
place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, In the Mount of
the Lord it shall be provided.15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to
Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: By Myself I have
sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not
withheld your son, your only son 17 blessing I will bless you, and
multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven

and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall
possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. 19 So
Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together
to
Beersheba;
and
Abraham
dwelt
at
Beersheba.
Peace and Eternal blessings to all reading this brief essay. The reason I
chose these passages from the Torah will be revealed shortly. Once we
understand that the holy books are not literal but allegories with
profound metaphysical principles will we be able to apply such
knowledge and experience greatness. The passage above spoke about
Abrahams dedication and faithfulness to God that he was offering his
ONLY son to be sacrificed to prove his loyalty. Which brings me to the
topic Sacrifice. This is an example of Sacrifice. He was willing to do the
ultimate in order to achieve his 'Divine' plan. We must not look at this
passage literally but seek the wisdom of how to apply these principles
to our Lives! We must not be afraid to sacrifice the things we love and
are attached to, all great things come with sacrifices. We have to be
Obedient,
steadfast,
loyal,
dedicated and willing. In this
scripture God tested Abraham to
prove himself by asking the most
of him, Abraham being wise knew
that he had to make a mental, a
physical departure" from his
beloved son. But in knowing this
he never became timid, sorrowful
or resentful. He valued the Divines
plan more than his own. He
removed self and applied faith.
And his good conduct, his good
morals, his ability to be long
sighted allowed him to pass
through into a higher level of
consciousness. And in doing so he
was blessed abundantly his
descendants were blessed and his sacrifice wasn't as great as he
thought it will be. But his obedience, his Will to sacrifice, should be
examined and applied to our lives. The Divine, the God, the creator is
within. Listen, feel, and execute.

EXODUS #EDUCATE #ENLIGHTEN #EMPOWER | Issue #003

EXODUS Talks
If you missed the first session of EXODUS Talks you
missed a powerful three hours!
On Thursday April 7th over fifteen people met with one
another on the top floor of Vision House (Fresh TV
Studio) and bonded together through a common
objective a love for our people and a desire to see us
grow in knowledge, understanding and empowerment.
The spirit in the room was contagious as we discussed
the significance and magnitude of our African
connection. We were uplifted and encouraged by the
mere fact that each one of us are descendants of
greatness.
And just as we have descended from greatness, we are
also destined for it. But one can only fulfill their destiny if
he/she KNOWS it and BELIEVES in the potential and
possibilities that exist within their soul.
We encourage you to join us for our next session on
Thursday May 5th. Same time. Same place. Same
greatness to be revealed! Join us! We hope to see you
there!

#FlashbackFriday
Paying homage to The Bermuda Recorder
1925 - 1975

For as much work as needs to be done on the issue of race relations in Bermuda, it is
always good to acknowledge the progress that has been made over the last several
decades. Have a read of this excerpt from an article entitled Race Relations Committee
Take Serious View of Trends in Colony published in the January 27 th, 1954 issue of The
Bermuda Recorder.

A warning that serious difficulties will arise if present racial tensions in the colony continue, has been sounded by the Parliamentary Race Relations
Committee, which submitted a 12-page unanimous report to the House of Assembly on Monday.
The committee, after months of study on this vital problem notes that racial tension has increased during the past ten years, but a close study of the
report reveals that few positive changes in the status quo and no major proposals to avoid friction and bitterness have been made. []
The committees recommendations cover the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the Civil Service, the Armed Forces, The School System and the
Political field.
In respect to the hospital, the committee recommended that discrimination in the wards cease, qualified Negro Nurses be employed on an equal
basis with white nurses and that coloured student nurses be allowed to train at the hospital. But these recommendations, according to a letter from
the Hospital Trustees which appended to the report, can only become effective if and when another hospital is built or put in operation.
As regards the school system, it is unanimously agreed that there be no change in the present set-up until there is a change in social thinking.
As far as occupational opportunities for coloured people are concerned, the committee recommended that a policy free from racial discrimination
should be adopted in respect to employment in the Civil Service, but as far as private enterprise goes, they feel it would be inadvisable to enact
legislation to force private employers to accept employees not of their choice.
The committee feel that insufficient attention has been paid to the advisability of more frequent appointment of suitable coloured persons to
Government Boards, and they urge that an investigation of the availability of qualified coloured
persons should be made with the view to a substantial increase in representations.
They also consider that there should be coloured Justice of the Peace and coloured persons on
the licensing authority, and that due weight should be given to the presentation of the coloured
point of view on the Executive Council.
Its true, we have a long road to trod, but thank God for progress!