Educator, Author, Politician, Historian, Culture Keeper, Chef – Mr Dale Butler is a true Bermudian Renaissance Man. A product of the Central School, The Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College, Mr Butler furthered his education at the University of Sussex; returning to Bermuda in 1976 with an honours degree in History and English.
From then, he would take the island by storm! Bothered by a low level of appreciation for black art and culture amongst Bermudians, Mr Butler got to work helping to build an identity, and a love-of-self amongst the local black community.
“I formed a group called Bermuda for Bermudians because we watched as overseas workers kept getting top positions, and because we wanted to develop a programme that would take black culture to the front page.”
He became the Principal of St. George’s Secondary School at the age of 28, which gave him a reputation as a world class leader, and inspirational motivator. After 14 years roaming the halls at SGSS in his signature bow tie, he moved to Dellwood, where he would eventually oversee the schools transition from a primary school to a middle school.
When his celebrated time as an educator came to an end, Mr Butler became a member of the historic first PLP government in 1998. Mr Butler served as Bermuda’s Minister of Culture, Community affairs, Sports, and Rehabilitation from 2003 until 2009, achieving numerous culturally relevant milestones while he was there.
The self-titled ‘Fishcake King’ of Bermuda, Mr Butler has become an invaluable resource for any student who wants to learn about Bermuda’s culture and history.
Recalling his mission to build our love-of-self up, Mr Butler reflects: “I have tried to fill in the gaps by giving Bermudians more information …. Getting the information into the hands of the public has been a labour of love.”
