Bermuda Forum 'Leveling the Playing Field' Addresses Racism in Sport

Community Gathers to Discuss Racism in Bermuda Sport

Bermuda hosted a significant community forum titled 'Leveling the Playing Field – Racism in Sport' on Friday, November 22, 2025. The event, held at Cambridge Beaches, invited Bermudians to engage in a reflective dialogue on the intricate relationship between sport, race, and the island's collective future. The forum was moderated by Bermudian scholar Dr. Ty-Ron Douglas, who guided discussions that encouraged open dialogue and honest reflection among participants.

Panelists Share Intergenerational Perspectives

The forum featured a powerful panel that offered layered and intergenerational perspectives on race and sport. Panelists included Stacey-Lee Williams from Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB), legendary footballer Clyde Best, Ade Coker, and Patrick Horne. The conversation, while initially focusing on football, expanded to explore how sport serves as both a mirror and a catalyst for social change, revealing and potentially healing Bermuda's racial divides.

Key themes explored during the forum included:

• The power of sport to bridge racial divides.
• Proximity and conversation as essential tools for truth-telling.
• The importance of healing through honesty and difficult dialogue.
• Understanding sport's dual role as a reflection of society and an agent for social change.

Participants were reminded that sport creates 'uncommon proximity'—a unique space where challenging truths can be articulated, heard, and ultimately transformed.

Highlighting Clyde Best's Legacy and Future Actions

A significant highlight of the forum was the upcoming documentary, 'Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story,' which is scheduled for its world premiere in March 2026. The film chronicles the extraordinary journey of Bermudian football icon Clyde Best, who broke racial barriers in English football and paved the way for subsequent generations of Black players. Best shared a poignant message from his father, who told him: 'Clyde, remember you are not playing football for yourself, you are playing for those who come behind you.'

Looking towards the future, Dr. Douglas proposed several forward-looking actions for Bermuda, emphasizing the need to:

• Educate youth to understand the historical shoulders they stand upon.
• Celebrate Bermuda's island and its inherent greatness.

The forum concluded with a focus on translating the documentary's message into inspiration for young people, reinforcing Bermuda's legacy of excellence across various fields.