Women’s Wednesdays: Race and Racism in The Bahamas

The ongoing worldwide protests against the murder of George Floyd by U.S. police have sparked an uptick in conversation about race and racism in The Bahamas. What does racism look like in a majority black country? How do the racial injustices of the past continue to impact us in the present? How can we come together as a community and as a region to heal and find new paths forward?

Discussion Questions:
What does racism look like in The Bahamas today?
How can we stand in solidarity against racism as a community and as a Caribbean region?
What is the reparations movement about?
How can we heal from the ongoing impacts of slavery and racism?
What might decolonisation look like for us?

Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Watch the replay from the online event that took place July 1, 2020 below: