This past week, someone defaced the Bromfield rock with racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic language and symbols of hate, specifically the swastika, that extend beyond those groups to encompass immigrants, Muslims, and others. Police and community response was swift and appropriate; I applaud the town for taking this seriously as hate speech, and for both covering the graffiti and opening an investigation at the same time.
People are speculating about who did this, and we might find out. Whether or not we do, let’s think beyond dealing with individuals, and reach for what structures the town itself can put in place to address racism and other forms of hate head on and proactively.
I work for a national nonprofit called Center for Social Inclusion. One of our core programs is the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunity for all. We currently work with more than 100 local and regional jurisdictions in 30-plus states, including the city of Boston, which signed on as a member in 2015, making a commitment to advancing racial equity across the breadth and depth of the city.
Does the town of Harvard have a racial equity ordinance? A stated commitment against all forms of hate speech? Is it a sanctuary town, which entails adopting a policy of protecting undocumented immigrants by not violating federal immigration laws? These are but a few structural interventions the town could take to set the tone, as well as the policies and practices, to protect all our citizens from fear, intimidation, harassment, and violence. Whether a childish prank or an intentional act of bigotry, the hate graffiti that appeared on the rock last week extends permission for escalation in action, not just speech.
One idea from my partner, Josh Waletzky, who did not grow up in Harvard but has spent 15 years visiting, is to inscribe our town values on a plaque, and affix it to the rock.
Jenny Levison, Bromfield Class of 1981
Brooklyn, New York
