Blacks rally to support governor in Dorchester
Seeking to rebut a well-known minister’s scathing critique of Governor Deval Patrick, about 30 black citizens gathered on a Dorchester street corner yesterday to express support for Patrick’s leadership, praising his work on behalf of the state’s African-Americans.
“We’re here to support the governor and specifically to show a united front,’’ said Daniel E. Rivers, president of a Boston-based group of black male professionals who helped organize the event. “Instead of castigating the governor, we need to congregate and realize that he’s going to need our support.’’
The group, which included many members of the clergy, came together in part to respond to pointed criticism of Patrick, the state’s first black governor, by the Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III, pastor of the Azusa Christian Community in Dorchester and cofounder of the Boston TenPoint Coalition. Rivers hand-delivered a 1,300-word letter to the governor’s office last week, accusing him of not doing enough to help African-American communities in Massachusetts.
“Your campaign promised the black community more opportunity and inclusion in general,’’ Rivers wrote. “Where is the promised opportunity for poor, urban blacks?’’
Yesterday, the Rev. Thomas V. Cross, a Boston-based overseer of the Church of God in Christ, dismissed Rivers’s criticism.
“He comes to town as a lone wolf, creating problems where there are no problems,’’ Cross said. “We have more access to this governor than we had access to any governor, Democrat or Republican.’’
Lawrence E. Dugan Sr., another participant in yesterday’s gathering, said Rivers was trying to further a personal agenda.
“Rev. Rivers is playing politics with the black community to try to gain some prestige,’’ Dugan said. “You can’t use the black community to play politics.’’
Yesterday, Rivers said he stood by his critique of Patrick.
“It still falls upon the governor to justify or explain his failure to provide for public safety or to elevate black justices to the bench or his rationale for the development of casinos as a resource for taxes,’’ he said in an interview.
Daniel Rivers, who is not related to Eugene Rivers, said many criticize the governor because they want instantaneous reforms.
He lauded Patrick’s efforts to invest in green technology, pointing out that such initiatives will make the state competitive nationally and globally in the long run.
Though Daniel Rivers said some might think it is too early to judge whether Patrick has “done a good job,’’ he said he would support the governor in his reelection bid next year.
“I owe it to my children to make sure he is in office,’’ he said.
Globe correspondent Stewart Bishop contributed to this report. Jayakrishna can be reached at njayakrishna@globe.com. 
