Outspoken, accomplished, and frequently controversial, physician and political leader Ewart F. Brown has been a longtime champion of racial equality, human rights, and economic and social justice. In this event-filled memoir, the former Premier of Bermuda shares the experiences that shaped him as a physician-politician committed to progressive change and that defined his often tumultuous time in office.
Brown's journey began with a childhood in a politically engaged family in a Bermuda then still legally segregated. He spent his pivotal high school years in Jamaica, where he excelled in both academics and athletics, then rose to national U.S. media attention as a leader of civil rights-based student activism at Howard University in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
After practicing as a physician in inner-city Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s, Brown entered electoral politics in Bermuda in the 1990s as a member of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and served as Premier from 2006 to 2010. Brown explains how he fought for human rights and racial equality in the face of intense push-back from racist forces of entrenched financial and political power. These conflicts made global headlines in June 2009, when Brown’s administration gave asylum to four innocent Uighurs being released from the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay. Brown’s account of that decision includes his secret negotiations with President Barack Obama’s White House as well as the opposition campaign to discredit him that followed.
Enlivened by memorable interactions with figures as varied as activists Stokely Carmichael, Cleve Sellers, Minister Louis Farrakhan, and Rev. Al Sharpton, music legend Bob Marley, leading members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, senior officials in the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and the U.K. governments of Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron, as well as a vividly drawn cast of Bermudians from all walks of life, Whom Shall I Fear? tells a story rich in human and political insight that will fascinate readers interested in the global African diaspora and its continuing quest for racial justice and equality.
WHOM SHALL I FEAR? by Ewart F. Brown, M.D.
"Whom Shall I Fear? is a journey about Ewart Brown, the rebellious child who grew up to be one of his country’s most significant political leaders in a time of racial and political change.
That story is well told and has the power to capture the imagination of readers who might never have even heard of Bermuda. . . . Love him or loathe him, his views always make compulsive reading.”—Tim Smith, The Royal Gazette (Bermuda)
“While the title of this compelling book by Ewart Brown may have been inspired by the Old Testament scripture, Whom Shall I Fear? chronicles a personal and political journey that is the manifestation of the New Testament admonition found at Hebrews 11:1: ‘Faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.’"—Rep. James E. Clyburn, Congressman from South Carolina, House Majority Whip and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus
“A unique narrative of the complicated history not only of Bermuda and its many challenges, but also of one of its own, a man who became a physician to help heal the sick and a politician to help heal his country. The life lessons—personal, professional, and political—that he shares have poignant relevance for our ever changing and always challenging times.”—Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist; former correspondent for the New York Times, PBS, NPR, and CNN; and author of In My Place and To the Mountaintop: My Journey Through the Civil Rights Movement
“With each chapter of this engaging narrative, we gain an appreciation for Ewart Brown’s fight for equality and justice as one of Bermuda’s most influential and charismatic leaders. It is a must-read for Bermudians now and for generations to come.”—E. David Burt, Premier of Bermuda (2017— )
“A first-hand tale of trials and triumphs, Whom Shall I Fear? is essential reading for anyone considering politics and public life. Ewart Brown pulls back the veil, revealing personal peaks and valleys in the pursuit of justice and equality in an ever-evolving society. Whether in Bermuda, the United States or elsewhere, this book provides powerful lessons about the change that can take place when one stands in truth and learns to live a life free from fear.”—Rep. G. K. Butterfield, Congressman from North Carolina
“An insightful, intelligent, and inspirational look at the life of a warrior for justice, an opponent of injustice, and an advocate for the voiceless and the vulnerable. Ewart Brown is everything a leader should be—and, in his case, actually is!”—Star Jones, Attorney, Advocate, and Media Personality
“From his days as a student activist at Howard University to his stint as an inner-city physician in Los Angeles and throughout his tenure as the ninth premier of Bermuda, Dr. Ewart Brown was never afraid to confront the establishment in his unrelenting struggle for racial equality. In Whom Shall I Fear? he tackles issues that are not confined to Bermuda—race, wealth, the use and abuse of power—and offers a lucid account of the formidable challenges he faced during an exciting political career.”—P. J. Patterson, O.N., O.C.C., Prime Minister of Jamaica (1992-2006)
“Dr. Ewart Brown has crafted a fascinating narrative of his full life and the lessons gleaned along the way. From his earliest days as a young man in Jamaica to his time as a student leader at Howard University and ultimately reaching the pinnacle of power in Bermuda, Whom Shall I Fear? is a gripping account of the life and times of a consequential contemporary leader. It will restore the reader’s faith in the fruits of hard work, resilience, and perseverance.”—Dr. Wayne Frederick, President, Howard University
“I met Ewart Brown in the 1960s during the height of his student political leadership at Howard University. Ewart was always impatient for change, and Whom Shall I Fear? chronicles his story. It’s a fascinating journey that allows the reader to relive seminal moments in American and Bermudian history in which Ewart Brown has played an outsized role.”—Sharon Pratt, Former Mayor, Washington D.C., and Founding Director, Institute for Politics, Policy, and History, The University of the District of Columbia
“This is the compelling and inspiring story of a man determined to build on his family legacy of service and commitment to his country, to providing the best of medical care to those most in need, and to ensuring that the people of Bermuda have the dignity and rewards of self-determination. Dr. Ewart Brown is fearless in his mission and undeterred in the face of personalized opposition.”—H. Carl McCall, former New York State Comptroller and former Chairman of the State University of New York Board of Trustees