14 June 2007 | The Royal Gazette

Four decades ago, Ewart Brown was an outspoken and high-profile student activist in Washington, DC.

Last night he returned to the American capital as leader of his island home - on a mission to raise Bermuda's profile with high-ranking politicians on Capitol Hill. The 61-year-old Premier has come a long way since he helped to organise the student occupation of the administration building at Howard University, where he was an undergraduate in the 1960s.

Back then, he was a vocal campaigner for student and civil rights, unafraid of ruffling the feathers of some of his professors and well-known for his passionate, radical speeches at campus rallies. Today, as he embarks on an intense two days of talks with a host of Senators and Congressmen and a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he will be hoping to win and foster friendship for Bermuda.

He told The Royal Gazette last night: "This is truly an auspicious time to be in Washington. Any time you can get face-time with key US political leaders and opinion makers of the stature of those that we will be meeting in this US-Bermuda bilateral visit it is important and beneficial for Bermuda and her interests.

"I see continuous diplomatic engagement to further Bermuda's interests as vital and clearly this is a defining moment for me as it is my first in this capacity as Premier in these US-Bermuda bilateral meetings." MORE! »