An audience gathered on Friday morning for Leveling the Playing Field – Racism in Sport, a free community forum that invited Bermudians to reflect on the intersection of sport, race, and the island’s collective future.
Held at Cambridge Beaches and moderated by Bermudian scholar Dr. Ty-Ron Douglas, the event encouraged open dialogue, crowd participation, and honest reflection. Dr. Douglas guided a powerful panel featuring Stacey-Lee Williamsfrom CURB, Clyde Best, Ade Coker, and Patrick Horne, whose combined experiences offered a layered and intergenerational perspective on race and sport.
Sport as a Lens into Bermuda’s Past, Present, and Future
The conversation opened by focusing on football but quickly expanded into a broader exploration of how sport reveals — and can help heal — Bermuda’s racial divide.
Key themes included:
Participants were reminded that sport creates uncommon proximity — a space where difficult truths can be spoken, heard, and transformed.
Clyde Best’s Story: A Bermuda Contribution to the World
The forum also highlighted the upcoming documentary Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story, set for its world premiere in March 2026. The film traces the extraordinary journey of Bermudian football legend Clyde Best, who broke racial barriers in English football and paved the way for generations of Black players.
Dr. Douglas emphasized that while the film chronicles Best’s personal journey, “this is a story that has been waiting to be told — and it is all of our story.”
Reflecting on his path, Best shared that his perseverance was shaped by a pivotal message from his father: “Clyde, remember you are not playing football for yourself, you are playing for those who come behind you.”
He added that he believed the only way to silence hatred was to demonstrate excellence so undeniable that people would learn to love him through his performance.
With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the film will serve as Bermuda’s global contribution — a message of resilience and truth emerging at a moment when the world needs it most.
Looking Ahead: Inspiring Bermuda’s Youth
The forum concluded by shifting the lens from the past to the future, focusing on how Bermuda can translate the film’s message into inspiration for young people. Attendees reflected on the island’s legacy of excellence — in sport, business, fashion, beauty, and beyond — underscoring that greatness continues to live and grow in Bermuda.
Dr. Douglas proposed three forward-looking actions for Bermuda:
The audience was reminded of the powerful statement from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” and the reality that Dr. King was assassinated in 1968–the same year that a17 year old Clyde Best left Bermuda to pursue his football dream at West Ham.
A Collective Call to Action
Leveling the Playing Field created space for truth, courage, and hope — a reminder that while racism in sport reflects a difficult history and present, it also provides a way forward. The conversations sparked at the forum aim to continue across the island, fueling a movement to ensure the next generation knows not only that they belong, but that they can achieve greatness.
Stacey-Lee Williams said, “CURB is deeply thankful to have been invited to participate on this panel. The atmosphere, both on Thursday evening and again during today’s discussion, was truly empowering. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance of voice and visibility for Black men on our island. Mr. Clyde Best’s legacy, as shared through this film, has the potential to spark meaningful dialogue, inspire our young Black males, and set the stage for racial healing and deeper connection across our community.”
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