Richards becomes
first black leader
December 29, 1971
Sir Edward Trenton Richards (1908-1991) became Bermuda’s first black leader, replacing Sir Henry Tucker. The previous year, Richards made history by becoming the first black man in Bermuda to be knighted.
He was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) and came to Bermuda in 1930 to teach at Berkeley Institute. He later became a lawyer and parliamentarian. He was first elected to Parliament in 1948, representing Warwick Parish.
During his tenure, Richards negotiated changes to the Constitution with the UK Government. The title of Government Leader was changed to Premier. The Executive Council became the Cabinet, and Members of the Executive Council became Ministers and Member of Colonial Parliament (MCP) was changed to Member of Parliament (MP).
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Dr. John Stubbs
December 18, 1932
Born on December 18, 1932, Dr. John Stubbs was the driving force behind the landmark 1994 law that decriminalized gay sex. His achievement capped a political career that began in 1965 when he helped to get the fledgling United Bermuda Party off the ground.
Stubbs, a former Rhodes Scholar, was respected by politicians of all stripes for his intellect, his energy and his vision for racial harmony, and for the role he played in helping to shape modern Bermuda.
His interest in medical matters extended beyond the operating room and brought him to the attention of leaders outside of Bermuda, among them U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy. Stubbs is also credited with introducing laparoscopy surgery to the island.
In December 1993, he was inspired to lead a campaign to change the island’s homosexuality laws after listening to a gay-bashing sermon at a funeral.
By May the following year, he had marshalled his forces and brought a Private Member’s Bill to the House.
On May 13, 1994, despite strong opposition from religious groups, Parliament approved the bill by a vote of 22 to 17. A month after that victory, Stubbs lost his battle with prostate cancer.
Source: The Renaissance Man—The Life and Times of Dr. John Stubbs Compiled by Robin Stubbs, Andrew Bermingham and Barbara Fullerton.
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Christmas and cassava
 Cassava pie is the centrepiece of Christmas dinner in Bermuda. How did cassava, a plant that is native to South America and which is a food staple for millions from Africa to Asia, come to play such a central role in Bermuda’s culinary tradition? Historian Michael Jarvis’ award-winning book In the Eye of all Trade provides some answers.
He writes that cassava made its first appearance in Bermuda in August 1616. It arrived aboard the Edwin. The first black and Indian to live in Bermuda were on the same ship.The next three years saw more black and Indian arrivals, who were brought here for their expertise in cultivating tobacco.
Their expertise was crucial to the cultivation of cassava as well. Dr. Jarvis writes: “By teaching white planters how to leech poisons from manioc roots, Africans and Indians made cassava an important island food crop.” Over the years, with the addition of eggs, butter and the meat filling (originally pork, nowadays usually chicken), a dish—cassava pie—emerged that is unique to Bermuda.
For a sampling of cassava pie recipes, check out the Bermuda National Library website |
