It’s time to have a very serious conversation among the Black community in Bermuda. As a woman I am now speaking to men.

It is time for you to go after our sons who are steeped in this so-called gang culture. You need to meet and develop a strategy to get our sons back from those who would use them to advance their agenda of drug distribution, mindless violence turned inward against those who look like themselves, and self destruction.

There cannot be one family among us whose, son, nephew, cousin, grandson has not been touched by this growing cancer in our midst. Sorry but prayer without works is a waste of time!

Artwork by Sharon Wilson

We are watching this madness play out among us as if it were some reality-based TV show. We do know, don’t we that no one can save us from us but us? I don’t know what Black men discuss when you get together, but I do know what occupies my waking thoughts and it is: “Who will get our sons back, and who among us believe that they are worth fighting for?”

We have put a whole lot of effort into politics and the talk shows, and while we were talking and voting, in the midst of all of this is one of our sons killed a brother of his.

His friends no doubt went off to find a white sheet in the hall closet of one of his friends to write R.I.P. and then ran to social media to be the first to post it and call the family to see when the funeral will be.

We sat and asked: “What’s wrong with these children as if we too are sick of them.” Well family, they are our sons and if there is something wrong with them we need to look at ourselves and together get some medicine because we birthed them and we lost them to the streets and now we need to go and get them, physically GO and GET THEM!

Is there anyone among us waiting for a white person to find an answer to this contagion in our midst? There is something very sick amongst us. Truth time is NOW! Is there some of us believing that the PLP will hop in cars and find our sons? What exactly is the belief or plan? Amid all the talk I do not hear one!

I taught the last young man killed as a result of gang and gun violence, Jahcari Francis. I didn’t teach him only to lose his before he even had time to do anything with his life. Come on Black Men, it’s time to lead and we will follow.

We are the ones who also need to do some serious changing in the way we manipulate and use our children as pawns. Right now, we need to get up

Artwork by Sharon Wilson

and go get ’em and I don’t exactly care what we have to do to accomplish this.

I don’t want any input from anybody white in this discussion because it “ain’t” about you and yours! I want my children back and it’s past time for the fathers, I don’t care if you have been a lousy father or not, if you never stood up before, it’s time to do it now!

I don’t want to hear who “shoulda” done what, or when they “shoulda” done it. It’s TIME! We have become callous and cold towards the cries of our children who have not found a reason to live, so they are dying right in front of us. Don’t we see the recklessness for what it is?

They’re crying out, acting out and we are shrugging our shoulders. Are we just hoping they will hurry up and die so that we can bury them and move on?

Sounds cold but I wonder, could this be true. Are we afraid of our own children? We retaliate when white people mention this antisocial issue in our midst, but we are standing like deer in headlights. We have these bucket lists for the new government, “humph”, tell me where does this rank?

Don’t you think that as topics go that just maybe we need to move this one to the top of the list? This is not America where we do not know where they are. We KNOW!

We need to say a prayer, then get up, take each other by the hands and go and get our children back! Mothers turn them in! Fathers flush them out wherever they are! I call all who are able, members of our cricket clubs and football clubs included!

Seriously, in the face of this assault we are trying to carry on business as usual??? Does this sound sane to you?

This is really WAR except we must save them from themselves and in the process, redeem ourselves!

  • Call 441 238-2583 for an appointment to come and view and have a coffee with me or email sharonwilsonartwork@icloud.com or sharonwilsonart@northrock.bm