Marshfield holds vigil to denounce attack on black teen
MARSHFIELD - More than two weeks after a 17-year-old Boston youth was chased and beaten by a mob, allegedly because of his race, officials organized a vigil last night to demonstrate the town is no place for hate.
"We are here now as a community to watch over and defend the civil rights of all people," Katie O'Donnell, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said at the event. "Violations of that sense of security are not tolerated in Marshfield."
More than 300 people gathered last night at Marshfield's Town Hall Common for a 30-minute vigil, which included town officials, religious leaders, and students as speakers, along with musical performances.
Authorities said Tizaya Robinson of Jamaica Plain was chased down Careswell Street and beat with sticks and beer bottles in the parking lot of a local restaurant on June 12. According to the police report, the person who called 911 said as many as 12 people had gathered around Robinson as he was being beaten and shouted racial epithets. (Marshfield has a population of just under 25,000 and is almost 98 percent white, according to census data.)
Robinson told police he was beaten because he is black. Seven people were arrested and charged with hate crimes in the days after the attack and two, Jay P. Rains, 19, of Duxbury and Michael Anderson, 19, of Quincy are being held without bail, according to the Plymouth County district attorney. The other five are from Marshfield. Before his arrest, Rains alleged he had been attacked first. He told police he was jumped and pepper-sprayed by Robinson.
"I think the incident kind of woke up the town a little bit," said town administrator Rocco Longo before last night's vigil, which he said was important because it enabled public discussion about the assault.
"The community is not looking to make this event a onetime thing," said Jennifer Smith, associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, before the vigil. "They're not just saying 'Look, we did this, and now we're moving on.' "
Longo said it was important to hold the vigil soon after the attack since it was fresh in residents' minds. But continuing the discussion was just as critical for the town, he said.
"Tonight just reinvigorates people, but what's more important is going forward," Longo said.
Before the vigil, the league helped the town re-establish its dormant No Place for Hate Committee. "The measure of a community is not whether hate happens, but how a community responds," said Smith. "In this case, the community response was quick and sent a clear message."
Rev. Barbara Peterson of the Marshfield Interfaith Clergy acknowledged that religious groups are sometimes responsible for propagating hate in some communities, but she said local spiritual leaders were united against such a mindset. "Many of us know it is often from the religious community that hate, bigotry, and scapegoating can occur," she said. "But that will not be the case in Marshfield."
As the ceremony closed, Peterson led those in attendance in singing "We Shall Overcome" as police officers distributed candles.
The No Place for Hate Committee will work in public schools following summer vacation, and organizers worked to make sure students were involved in the vigil. Organizers kept the event brief so parents could bring their children, Longo said.
Cara Contos came with her daughter, Eva, 7. "I think it's important for Eva to see that strength comes in numbers, and for her to see that people will respond to things that are intolerable," Contos said.
Tom Kane attended the vigil with his wife, Agnes, and their 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, whom they adopted from China. He said the family had discussed the hate-fueled attack and subsequent developments.
"We start off by reading her the stories in the paper and then have her ask questions," Tom Kane said. "It gets a little tough - she's used to just hearing people call each other names, but with the beating, there are people in the hospital."
Sarah said she thought the alleged hate crimes were "very awful." But yesterday's vigil "makes me feel better," she said.
Robinson did not attend the vigil and could not be reached for comment. Longo said that since the teen is working with police and the district attorney, the committee did not reach out to him.
"When violent acts occur, it strikes the whole community at its core, at a visceral level," Smith said. "People are really taking collective ownership as a community." 