At the corner of Wesley and Church Streets, on the southwest corner of the City Hall carpark, sits pocket-sized Wesley Park created in 2009 to pay tribute to one of the milestone civil-rights episodes in Bermuda history. The Theatre Boycott by peaceful black activists in June 1959 protested segregation in the island’s cinemas. But the 10-day boycott was so successful it also brought racial barriers in churches, hotels, and other institutions tumbling down.
Wesley Park features a tall bronze sculpture by Bermudian artist Chesley Trott called “When Voices Rise,” depicting figures, their raised arms holding protest placards. It was to be unveiled at the site in June 2009. The park is a shady little stopping place with benches, brick pavers, palms, and a tamarind tree.