PIECE OF THE ROCK: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF BLACKS IN BERMUDA by IYABO F. OSIAPEM (Under the Direction of Sonja L. Lanehart) ABSTRACT This dissertation is the collection of three articles that are the result of my experience with qualitative methodologies, descriptive linguistics, and Bermuda. There are many purposes for this research: (a) to explore aspects of the culture in which the 30 Black Bermudian participants selected for this study live; (b) to question and trouble sociolinguistic interview methodology, and (c) to describe Black Bermudian English (BBE) as used by the participants. In this dissertation, I explore what being Bermudian means to the 30 Black Bermudian participants by analyzing participants’ answers to the primary interview question “What does it mean to be Bermudian?” using grounded theory methodology. I found that both positive and negative identities emerged in the data showing who they think they are and who they think they are not in relation to the Other, the non-Bermudian. I also trouble sociolinguistic data methodologies, particularly the sociolinguistic interview and call for increased examination and critique of the context of the sociolinguistic interview while offering suggestions towards that critique. Since very little research exists on the language of Black Bermudians, I also offer a descriptive analysis of language of the 30 participants by comparing and contrasting the features of BBE with other languages of the African Diaspora. INDEX WORDS: Bermuda, Bermuda History, Bermuda Culture, Bermudian Identities, Bermudian English, Black Bermudian English, Language in the African Diaspora, Qualitative Methods, Sociolinguistic Interview, Phenomenological Interview PIECE OF THE ROCK: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF BLACKS IN BERMUDA by IYABO F. OSIAPEM M.S. Technical and Professional Communication, Southern Polytechnic State University, 1997 B.A. International Studies, Southern Methodist University, 1994 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2005 © 2005 Iyabo F. Osiapem All Rights Reserved PIECE OF THE ROCK: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF BLACKS IN BERMUDA by IYABO F. OSIAPEM Major Professor: Sonja L. Lanehart Committee: Marlyse Baptista Paul A. Schutz Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2005 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation was a group effort and I never could have done it alone. Thanks mom for being such an inspiring role model and thanks daddy for being so supportive. Thank you both for being my parents and doing such a good job at it. Thanks Aunt Ronnie and Aunt Phyllis for mothering me in so many ways and for being there whenever I needed anything. I need to thank my grandparents (both sets) for their never-ending support. I'm sorry that my Granny Rose and my Papa aren’t with us to share in this accomplishment, but I know they are here in spirit. Special thanks to my sister Kai and my cousins Imani, Alif, and Nanyamka for being my friends in addition to my family. Thank you to the rest of my family and extended family who supported me and encouraged me to complete this process. Thank you to my many friends who listened to me along the way. Brian, you suffered right along with me and helped me smile even during the toughest times. Thanks Raj, Mike, Liz, Betsy, Kerri, Marlene, Nicholyn, Robert, Ashley, Meca, and Garrison for providing an outlet for my many frustrations and helping me realize that there was more to life than writing my dissertation. I would like to thank my committee for working with me throughout the research process. Thank you Dr. Lanehart for making me work harder than I ever thought I could (even when I didn’t want to) and expecting nothing less than my best work. Thank you Dr. Zeigler for introducing me to linguistics. I really wouldn’t be here if not for you. v I’d like to thank the participants who generously offered their time and their stories to help me in my endeavors. I'm sure I’ve left someone off this list and I’ll be reminded of it later—and I’ll have to thank you then. Finally, I wouldn’t be writing this if not for the Creator and the spirit of all my ancestors that have guided me this far and will guide me even further. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................IV LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................IX LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................X CHAPTER 1 ...................................................................................................................1 Introduction.................................................................................................................1 Subjectivities ...........................................................................................................4 Dissertation Format .................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2 ...................................................................................................................7 About Blacks in Bermuda............................................................................................7 Bermuda’s Discovery and Settlement ......................................................................8 Black Presence and Slavery .....................................................................................9 Early Population ....................................................................................................11 Slavery in Bermuda ...............................................................................................12 Education of Slaves ...............................................................................................16 Abolition of Slavery ..............................................................................................18 Representation in Government...............................................................................19 Portuguese Immigration.........................................................................................19 Armies and Bases ..................................................................................................20 Tourism and Business............................................................................................21 Current Bermuda ...................................................................................................21 vii CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................23 On Being a Black Bermudian: The Privileged Life ....................................................23 Methodology .........................................................................................................25 Methods.................................................................................................................26 Data Collection......................................................................................................27 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................30 Trustworthiness and Authenticity...........................................................................32 Findings.................................................................................................................35 Discussion .............................................................................................................46 CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................52 Doing Sociolinguistics Differently: Phenomenology and the Sociolinguistic Interview ..................................................................................................................................52 Interviewing in Sociolinguistics.............................................................................59 Critiques of the Sociolinguistic Interview ..............................................................63 A New approach to the Sociolinguistic Interview...................................................68 Conclusion ............................................................................................................77 CHAPTER 5 .................................................................................................................79 “An English of their Own”: A Descriptive Grammar of Black Bermudian English ....79 Methodology .........................................................................................................83 The Description .....................................................................................................87 BBE in Comparison to Other Englishes in the African Diaspora ..........................109 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................110 CHAPTER 6 ...............................................................................................................112 viii Future and Reflections.............................................................................................112 APPENDIX A.............................................................................................................115