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Wesley LeRoy Tucker • (1907-1963)

Wesley LeRoy Tucker was a leader in the fight for universal adult suffrage in Bermuda.
He was a parliamentarian from 1953 until his death in 1963 and was a key figure in pushing
through the many changes that brought greater equality for blacks at that time.
In 1953, due to the requirement that people must own a certain amount of property to
be eligible, only one in four Bermudian adults could vote. An even smaller proportion
of black Bermudians could vote since they were not as wealthy as whites.
Tucker’s first project was to join an Inter-Racial Committee to investigate racial inequality
and improve the circumstances of black Bermudians. However, this committee was
chaired by the powerful white parliamentarian Henry Tucker and did little to bring greater
equality to blacks.

Re-elected to parliament in 1958, W. L Tucker now set his sights firmly on bringing
universal suffrage to all adult Bermudians. However, he had to tread carefully to garner
support from white parliamentarians who were afraid of blacks obtaining too much
power. Aided by Edward T. Richards, a fellow parliamentarian and friend, he proposed a re-
view of the 1945 Parliamentary Act, advocating a gradual broadening of the franchise. He courtesy the tucker family
was elected chair of the committee and for four years battled white parliamentarians
who dug their heels in against universal suffrage.
After several versions of the bill, the final version passed in December 1962. It gave
all adults over 25 the right to vote, although property owners received an extra vote.
This result fell short of Tucker’s aspirations for one man, one vote, but was a huge step
toward giving blacks more political power.
Although W. L Tucker’s career was defined by his push for universal suffrage, he had
many other notable achievements. In 1959 he became the first black man elected to
the Executive Council, a forerunner of the Cabinet. He was also the first black president
of the Bermuda Employers’ Council.

In parliament he denounced the segregated fire brigade and the Government’s
withdrawal of funds from black school Howard Academy, which subsequently closed.
Tucker was also part of a committee which worked to pass a law that, in March 1961,
made it illegal for restaurants to deny service to blacks. He worked as a mediator during
the dockworkers’ strike.

By 1963 his health was failing, but he received the prestigious award of Commander of the
British Empire (CBE) shortly before his death.

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