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Rosalind (Ratteray) Williams - July 1, 1933 - June 21, 1989)

The Progressive Group: It is hardly known by people and its their contribution to the island was made with no fuss or boasting. So in part it violates their social contract to examine the personalities involved; but I believe it will help in accessing the deeper story called Bermuda.

As we approach Sunday, February 8, 2009, the 50th Anniversary of the first meeting of the Progressive Group, it is appropriate to take a closer look at Rosalind Williams, since that meeting took place at the home of she and husband, Eduord. In fact it became the main meeting place and their kitchen ceiling secreted supplies for the campaign, such as copying equipment.

Rosalind's story may be one of those that would be material for a Hollywood script - attractive heroine works in underground movement to promote Social Justice, in island paradise. She was my first Standard (Primary 3) teacher at Elliot in the mid '50s. She had returned from university from Canada in 1953, where she had experienced living in a society quite different from the segregated Bermuda. Soon after her return she married a long-time friend Edourd.

These newly-weds would have been involved in one of a number of house-to-house meetings that were going on at that time, in which discussions went on about the regressive nature of Bermuda's society and they experienced the growing frustration that this had not changed.

They also became very active in the life of their church; St. Paul AME. Around 1957 Rev. Wendell Foster, an American took over. He had spent a period at Vernon Temple where he was known for his activist ministry - e.g. sending 20 young people off to college. At St. Paul he revitalized the young adults programme, which included Eduord and Rosalind. She was noted for her public-speaking.

This group spent time discussing the local situation of segregation and how things compared with the U.S. scene. Foster made it clear that he was opposed to the local status quo and was involved in those discussions. A watershed was reached when Rosalind was asked by her cousin Stanley Ratteray to join the effort that became the Progressive Group. It was agreed that the first formal meeting would be held at the Williams' home and that venue became the 'base of operation'.

A key role in democracy

After the success of the Theatre Boycott, Rosalind and a number of the other members of PG became involved with Roosevelt Brown and the Committee for Universal Adult Suffrage. During this campaign to gain the right of all adults to vote, she was one of a number of speakers appearing on the panel and participated in the final rally. That movement played a key role in bringing democracy to the island.

Subsequently Rosalind, left teaching and joined her husband working for Sun Life Insurance.

In the late '60s the two set up an experimental farm on Smith Island and also ran the St. George Youth Centre. While they finished up at the centre in the '70's the farm continued. She died a relatively young age in 1989.[[In-content Ad]]

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