By David Fortier
Figuring out how to help address racial issues was a general theme among participants in a rally outside the Board of Education prior to the city council meeting on Tuesday.
“I’ve kind of reached the point where I’m feeling like I need to not be silent anymore about these kinds of things,” said Bristol resident Tim Krauss.
The rally was called for by the Bristol Anti-Racism Brigade (B.A.R.B.) in response to the mayor and the city’s lukewarm response to the presence of white supremacists and white supremacist propaganda being spread in Bristol.
B.A.R.B. was formed in the summer of 2022 when leaflets with white supremacist propaganda, seeking recruits, were spread in the northeast section of the city. The group met with the mayor looking for a stronger position against white supremacism.
The emergence of racist posts on the personal Facebook page of the now-resigned Bristol Farmers Market manager and, again, a tepid response from the mayor, added to the urgency.
“This is the first kind of thing I’ve been to, and so I’m trying to sort of feel my way into what I can do and how to participate,” Krauss said.
Krauss was among 27 people who gathered for the rally. Before the program began, some participants partook in Jamaican beef patties and rice from Jamaican Kitchen, along with bottles of water provided, all provided by B.A.R.B.
Among those who ate one of the patties were Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould and Deputy Chief Mark Morello, who greeted participants before heading into the city council meeting.
“I feel that racism has no real place anywhere,” said Sandy Baker. “And not just the sign (on the Mayor’s Office Facebook page) the mayor held up with that woman (Bristol Public Schools superintendent Kate Carbone) who said hate has no place in City Hall or Bristol Public Schools.
“Hate and racism have no place anywhere, anywhere, so I didn’t understand that,” she said and added that maybe the mayor doesn’t understand how important it is for all of Bristol to feel that he is really standing up and speaking out against racism.
“My hope is that the rally, at least, gets people’s attention in Bristol,” she said. “That there are people who care. It’s not just going to be like, ‘Oh, who cares? Let’s put up signs, let them do whatever. Let the mayor not pay attention to it.’ “
Baker was there with her sister, Jeanette.
“I feel that if we say, ‘It’s not my issue. Let someone else speak out against it.’ Then, we will all be complacent and allowing something to happen?” she said.
“If we don’t stand in unity with someone who is against it, are we then saying that we are for the other side?” she asked. “Or is it that we’re just in the middle and have no opinion one way or the other because it isn’t affecting us personally?”
B.A.R.B. brought together an assortment of speakers, both from Bristol and outside Bristol, to draw attention to the mayor’s response, but also the presence of white supremacists and Neo-Nazi’s in Connecticut.
Among those addressing the crowd, were Adam Antar of B.A.R.B, Melina Floyd-Torres who led two community discussion on white supremacists’ presence in the city and the official response, Dan Piper from Workers Voices and Cadence Castro representing the transgender community.
“We’re here in juxtaposition to the white supremacists who came to Bristol under the cover of darkness with an easy escape route,” said Antar in his opening comments. “We stand here in celebration of who we are with food and music. Remember why we love ourselves and each other so we can come together and do the work that’s necessary.”
Floyd-Torres said that her goal for bringing people together was to create a place where every human being can feel safe.
“And every person can feel like they have the ability to talk about things that are part of their struggle and actually get answers and a response,” she added.
Included among the speakers those from outside of Bristol, too. Dan Piper of Workers Voices shared an experience that occurred in Danbury, that involved protesting against a vigilante group publicizing that it was pro-American worker and pro-religious that encouraged people to travel to the southern border to fight immigration.
“Ever time this group made itself present, there was the counterdemonstration that was larger, that was more exiting, more vibrant, and was more representative of everyone who lives here,” he said. “And it demonstrated without a doubt that the group was not for American workers.
“Why? Because the counterdemonstrations had unions.
“It was not representing religious communities. Why? Because the counterdemonstrators had the churches, the synagogues, the mosques and the other religious communities.
“It was not representing the communities, because community leaders were coming out and speaking against them.
“And not only that they lost the discourse because the counterdemonstrators didn’t even respond to the discourse that this group was putting forward. They used the occasion to put forward their own message.”
Clockwise from upper left, Cadence Castro in pink socks, Adam Antar at the microphone, participants in the audience, more participants holding signs along Church Street and Dan Piper in lower left. | Laura Bailey photos
The message grew, he said, so that it eventually became the mainstream concensus.
“That is our job today,” he said.
Early in his comments, he thanked B.A.R.B. for organizing the event and how it might be a model for other communities.
“I think those of us who come from outside Bristol really need to take seriously what folks in B.A.R.B. have done and we need to bring this back to our communities and bring our communities and out people back here in numbers in force.
“Our goal should be to show what a tiny pathetic minority these people are, who are trying to organize racism in this state because that is what they are,” he said.
Castro, a member of the trans community, traveled from Manchester with their message, tying racism to historical trends that extended to abuse of transgender people.
“We’ve been here,” they said. “We have been here this whole time, we’ll always be here. In the words of Marsha P. Johnson, ‘Pay it no mind. We’re not hurting you. We just want to live.’ And in addition to that, white queer people, specifically, owe the black trans community and the black community for liberties and rights that we have now.”
Ian Morales of the Young Lords lives in Connecticut but is an officer in the national organization with its roots in Chicago. He wore a purple beret and buttons covered his vest.
“We get a lot of people that say, ‘Hey, well, you guys are just Puerto Rican group. Isn’t that like a hate group?’ No. ‘You guys wear those colors and purple berets. Are you guys a gang.’ No. We wear this uniform and these berets to commemorate the group that came before us.”
The organization began in the 1960 and espoused a 13-point program for self-determination for Puerto Ricans, members of Latino nations and oppressed people.
“We need to let people know that groups like us, like the Young Lords, like BARB, like all these other organization that have members here today, will not put up with it,” he said.
“Remember, we all talk about it like Bristol is one of those little, tiny towns that people forget about,” he said. “So, let’s not let them forget about this meeting today.”
He said the way to success is unity, to work with others, to bring the message to other cities in the state and show white supremacists that they are not welcome.
“This is our backyard. This is our home,” he said. “We will not put up with it.”
Antar closed the rally with an a broad appeal for social change.
“White supremacy isn’t just Neo-Nazis running around our streets,” he said.
It is mold in apartment complexes leading to asthma is housing for blacks and brown people, it is lack of public transportation in lower-income neighborhoods and it is the removal of unadulterated history in schools.
“And, yes,” he said, “it is a mayor and city council unwilling to adamantly denounces white supremacy and seek substantive change.”
While he called for a change in leadership, Antar, issued a challenge to Democrats seeking those leadership roles.
He encouraged constituents to ask the Democratic candidates what substantive changes they will purse.
“Will they commit to anything more than flag waving, feel good council events and small celebrations of diversity, which do nothing to change the real-world conditions of our neighbors?”
Krauss, who, after the rally, was headed home to see grandchildren, said he had a positive experience and will continue mulling over what’s next.
“You know, it’s certainly dynamic and powerful,” Krauss said about the rally, his first. “It’s a little more aggressive than I am used to but look at me (Krauss is white with a graying beard and wears eyeglasses), I haven’t felt what Adam has felt. I’ve not had the life experiences that drives that emotion.”
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.