Their achievement in dismantling segregation was extraordinary.
But the Progressive Group, which sparked a seismic transformation in Bermuda through the historic Theatre Boycott, were just an ordinary group of people with a common goal.
That’s the view of Florenz Maxwell – and she should know.
Mrs Maxwell and her husband Dr Clifford Maxwell were among the 18 young men and women who mobilised the island against racism in 1959, inspiring hundreds to take part in a two-week peaceful protest which led to desegregation in theatres and later restaurants, hotels, schools and churches.
The activist, now aged 92, together with her son, the historian Dr Clarence Maxwell, met with Bermudian History to share their thoughts about how Bermudians have overcome immense challenges in the past – and the lessons we can learn as we embrace our struggles today.
Their message is clear. Whether your goal is ending gang violence or building bridges in a divided country, the solution won’t be found in grumbling. It will come by joining forces with like-minded people and plotting a clear course of action. And nobody needs to be a superhero.
Back in the 1950s, Mrs Maxwell was dismayed by the racism that was woven into the fabric of Bermuda society. But she didn’t just sit back and complain.
“There was a problem with what people did before the Progressive Group,” she recalled.
“It’s what people do now. They complain about politics and this and that. You complain, but you’re not doing anything to fix the problem.
“And we were doing the same thing until it was decided, why are we complaining, when we could do something? And what could we do? And that’s when we formed the group.”
‘ORDINARY PEOPLE’
The Progressive Group met in secret to plot their protest during the summer of 1959 knowing that, if caught, they faced losing their jobs or their parents might lose their mortgages.
They didn’t see themselves as anything special.
“You had to be a foreigner in order to accomplish something at that time, or somebody important,” Mrs Maxwell said.
“But we weren’t. We were a bunch of students, plus newlyweds. We were just ordinary people.
“It was really pushed by the fact that many of us had gone abroad to school, in places where we were allowed to move around with the freedom to do things. Then you came back to Bermuda and you couldn’t.
“Many of your White friends would come to visit you in Bermuda and you couldn’t take them to places, and that was embarrassing. So that was a motivation too.”
On Sunday June 11, at 10.30pm, while most of the island was asleep at home, the Progressive Group, with synchronised watches, bombarded the island with posters urging people to boycott the segregated theatres.
Over the next two weeks, hundreds of Bermudians took part in the boycott, carried placards through Hamilton and took turns to give inspirational speeches from soapboxes.
It gained recognition in the international media before, on Thursday, July 2, cinemas reopened their doors and, for the first time, all residents were able to choose their seat, anywhere in the house.
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
The Progressive Group, whose identity remained secret until 1999, are rightly heralded today for their remarkable impact on Bermuda.
Yet according to Mrs Maxwell, they were a diverse group of people with little in common apart from their shared goal.
“What has impressed me was that the 18 of us were all different,” she said.
“We were all Black, but we were all different. Different backgrounds, even denominations. But we had one common ground. We wanted a better Bermuda. Those who had children or were pregnant – they wanted a better life for theirs. We all wanted justice.
“That is what I’m proud of. The fact that no one tried to outdo the other. We had beautiful meetings. We all worked together.
“Whatever idea came up, it wasn’t the person that was important, it was the idea.
“When Bermuda woke up on that morning, the whole island was covered with posters and nobody knew who did it. I’m proud of that. The unity. And even though all of us needed help financially, nobody snitched. Forty years went, not because we were afraid, but because nobody wanted to go out there and say hey you folks, we’re responsible for doing this.”
THERE’S ALWAYS A STRUGGLE
Dr Clarence Maxwell, who has studied Bermuda’s earlier days of colonisation and slavery, has noted recurring trends when it comes to fighting injustice.
“There are a lot of things that happened, but one is always impressed by the capacity of people to overcome those things,” he said.
“What fascinates me is that there’s always a struggle to some extent, and that struggle doesn’t have a certainty in its completion.
“But people will take it, with all the risk and sacrifice that comes with it, and they may not win, but they are willing to actually fight it for themselves and for their children.”
While the history books show the Progressive Group were successful, for example, at the time they had no idea how their protest would pan out, or what the consequences might be.
“When we look at these things, we look at them from the end, after the completion, and we say these things were successful, and we tend to minimise the risk,” Dr Maxwell explained.
“What we forget is that when these things were being dealt with, people had no idea how they were going to turn out. They had no idea what was going to happen to them. They had no idea what they would lose. Everything was always a gamble. The risk is whether the enormity of the crime is worth the fight.
“There’s never any intention to make history. The act is to change what’s in front of you.”
WORK TOWARDS A SHARED GOAL
So what can we do to make Bermuda a better place today?
Dr Maxwell said: “When we see things that are wrong, we need to protest it. The thing is, we all need to agree on the problem. There has to be a consensus. Harmonise our differences, which is something that humanity is increasing less able to do.”
Mrs Maxwell believes, nearly 65 years after desegregation, Bermuda remains divided.
“In Bermuda, you’re still Black, or you’re still White,” she said.
“Let’s take politics. Even though there are Black people in the OBA, it’s still a White party. They’re still predominantly Black people in the PLP.
“We don’t need parties anyway. What we need are people, like in the Progressive Group, to see where a problem is and work towards it.
“A lot of things are happening. The anger is out there. The shootings. All of this is because desegregation did not bring the country together.
“Being a part of the Progressive Group helped me understand that you can get together, and you can make a difference, collectively. But we can’t because our hearts are divided.
“I know there are people out there who could get together and think about how we can bring this country together.”
Over to you, Bermuda.
