The Mean Streets of...Greenfield? Or, Liberal
Massachusetts: The Funeral Was Tuesday
by BAR Contributing Editor Richard O'Connor
"There are places where there is no awareness the Civil
Rights movement ever happened."
Greenfield, Massachusetts, March 6, 2007: The Springfield
Republican newspaper reported that the letters "KKK" were written on the fender
of a car. In a second incident, a group
of white males yelled racial slurs at a group of black people.
Greenfield, Massachusetts, March 14, 2007: The Greenfield
Recorder newspaper reported that at least twenty Nazi swastikas up to two feet
across and Nazi SS symbols were painted on and around Poet's Seat Tower, a
local scenic landmark.
Greenfield, Massachusetts: Incidents of harassment, assault,
and N-word calling that were not reported.
Apparently, there are places where there is no awareness the
Civil Rights movement ever happened. My town must be one of them. You wouldn't
know it by visiting. Sure, the town is economically depressed but the people
seem pretty friendly. The place has a down-to-earth, family feel - and we're a
family. Occasionally, you see a person of color. There are Asian restaurants
and a new Korean church. We heard there was an African-American woman active in
local politics.
"We laughed a little at the apprehensions of a tough,
street-wise Black police officer from New York whose unsubstantiated gut
instinct told him to warn us."
Of course, we heard other rumors, too. A realtor where we
used to live, a retired New York City transit authority cop, told us he kept
his service revolver in the glove compartment when going to Franklin County on
business. We laughed a little at the apprehensions of a tough, street-wise
Black police officer from New York whose unsubstantiated gut instinct told him
to warn us, about what...squirrels and trees?
Theater diva Ingrid Askew, of the Interfaith Pilgrimage of
the Middle Passage journey to Africa, and a long time Amherst resident, pleaded
with us not to move to the Hill Towns. Yes, that was pleading we heard in her
tone of voice, a voice finely honed through years of professional theater
craft. Ms. Askew is a formidable talent with an unwavering commitment to social
change. She had genuine concern for us but in our naïve hubris, we thought
differently. We dismissed her warnings as well meaning but overly dramatic.
What exactly did they want to warn us about? We weren't new
to western Massachusetts and we had been to Franklin County many times. It
seemed so familiar there. We grew up in Massachusetts' small towns. They're not
running around with sheets over their heads burning crosses. What's the
problem?
Some people, even smart ones that have been around awhile,
have to get beat over the head with it before they "get" a concept. But, once
we got here it didn't take all that long. Our third week, there was a police
officer at the door with a badge, a gun, and a neighbor with a false
accusation. Must be just a fluke, other neighbors were so friendly. Joan
brought a warm smile and a plate of brownies. Jane came with an offer of a
pick-up truckload of irises free for the taking.
"There was a police officer at the door with a badge, a
gun, and a neighbor with a false accusation."
We jumped head-on into months of hard sweat equity work
gutting, insulating, sheetrocking, adding a vaulted ceiling and stained glass
window, refinishing floors, re-wiring and re-plumbing. I guess the 94-year-old
Polish lady who used to live in this dilapidated little house hadn't been
keeping it up.
We got building permits, demolished the front entryway,
replaced a rotten sill, and jack hammered off old concrete steps. There was
debris, lumber and tools all around. We eventually built a new deck there, with
a wheelchair ramp, and a modern energy efficient front door with lots of glass
to better see the world outside.
It was around then that the two men on bicycles stopped in
front near where I was working. Just taking a break from pedaling I assumed.
When they look my way I'll wave and say "Hi. Nice day." Two flabby middle-aged
white men in Bermuda shorts on mountain bikes.
When they looked my way, one said in a loud voice "That's how these
blacks are. As soon as they get a house they wreck it."
Last Spring, Joan of the plate of brownies, a smart old
lady, walked across the road and asked me very pointedly if I take drugs. I
told her I don't need medications. I'm in excellent health, just disabled in a
wheelchair (and married to a Black woman).
I found out this Spring where Joan got the idea to ask me
that question. The neighbor to my north informed me I'm "so drugged out" I
probably don't know what I'm saying. He said this was a good neighborhood
before we moved in. I must have acquired a multiple personality disorder since
coming to Greenfield. The "me" I know is a vegetarian that doesn't even smoke
or drink, never mind take drugs. I know exactly what I'm saying.
The Mayor of Greenfield, Christine Forgey, speaks as if from
her heart about having a Latina daughter-in-law in New York and her desire for
a better future in Greenfield, like that exempts her from what's really going
on. I met with her April 23rd about attitudes and practices in the town towards
minorities and disabled people, and how it effected me.
"He said this was a good neighborhood before we moved
in."
If Mayor Forgey is interested in a better future, for the
sake of her Latina daughter-in-law and grandchildren, why doesn't she employ
people of color at Town Hall, the Police and Fire Departments, the public
schools, or DPW? I asked her why I hadn't heard her speaking out strongly
against bigotry. She assured me that a lot happens behind the scenes and you
may not always hear about it.
The Mayor did take a particular interest in talking about my
wife's employment as an English teacher at the regional high school. Right after we met with Mayor Forgey, my
wife was let go from her teaching job, after years of excellent performance
reviews, with no due process, or explanation.
Greenfield holds four of the School Committee positions for
that regional high school. The school
depends on funding and cooperation from Greenfield. And, those people all sit
on other town committees and offices such as the Town Council, Assessor's
Office and Senior Center.
Greenfield's Human Rights Commission held a forum about the
racial incidents. Mayor Forgey's appointee, the Chairman of the Commission,
used to be an attorney. The Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers permanently
disbarred him from the practice of law for numerous improprieties with client's
money, 45 clients. These Hill Town people give themselves lots of second
chances. Lots. They don't want to give people of color, the disabled, and poor
people any chance at all.
I've learned again the hard way how the system is rigged.
Instead of going it alone, I'm taking a fresh look for places where I can make
alliances with people of good will. Maybe we can save some of the gains of the
Civil Rights era - if it's not too late.
Richard O'Connor can be
contacted at nonametribe@earthlink.net.
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