Page 51 - BLACK HISTORY IN BERMUDA red

Partner Skit: Meet Sarah ‘Sally’ Bassett

Bassett: Hi, I’m Sarah Bassett. Have you heard of me?

Student: I think so…are you the slave who was accused of poisoning your owners?
I thought your name was Sally Bassett.

Bassett: Kind of. You can call me what you like.

Student: So…did you really do it?

Bassett: People can’t agree. The story that the first Bermudiana flower came from
my ashes – some say that was proof of my innocence. Others say they
needed someone to blame so they chose me because I was black. But the
police say they found rat poison in my cupboard, and my granddaughter
Beck confessed. All that really matters is that they thought so.

Student: Wait, you have a granddaughter! Your statue makes you look so young!

Bassett: Again, stories change over time – I had multiple grandchildren. Another inter-
esting story, people now call a really hot day a “Sally Bassett day”.

Student: It was interesting meeting you. I’m sorry about what happened to you,
but you are part of Bermuda history.

Partner Skit: Meet Mary Prince

Prince: Hello, I’m Mary Prince, have you heard about me?

Student: Yes I have! You were a runaway slave who made a major contribution to
the abolitionist movement.

Prince: That’s right! I even wrote a book about my life – The History of Mary
Prince: A West Indian Slave. It helped advance the movement and high-
light the horrors of life as a slave.

Student: When you were a runaway, you had to leave your husband.
How did you cope?

Prince: I threw myself into my work. As you can imagine, it was extremely hard
for me, but by working I managed to keep going. For example, did you
know I was the first woman to present an anti-slavery petition to Parlia-
ment?

Student: No. That’s pretty awesome. You were a role-model and an inspirational
person who people still talk about. Your contributions helped people in
slavery across the Americas.

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