Worcester’s Community Organizers React to Racial Altercation this Weekend

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

As reported by GoLocal Worcester on Monday, Danielle Spring of Worcester was verbally attacked outside of a Pub 99. She was repeatedly called the n-word and was told to 'go back to Ferguson.' The man guilty of the verbal abuse was allowed to go into the Pub 99 to eat his dinner afterwards.

"The patrons continued with their patronage at the restaurant despite witnessing the abuse in the parking lot. The witnesses wouldn't confront the man. They bore witness in anonymity. The manager "dealt" with the man by asking him to come into the establishment. This incident is a superb case study of White silence that serves as the lifeblood of White privilege which is the product of White supremacy," said Mike Jerry, a Community Organizer from Worcester.

Local Community Organizers Speak Out Against Racism

"This man is clearly a racist bigot and his patronage was still welcomed by Pub 99 even though he threatened another potential customer with racist remarks. It's a shame though. My high school team's basketball picture is on the wall, as are many, and they donate to a Worcester program. That demonstrates a false sense of inclusiveness and commitment to people of color and youth and we need to move beyond the window dressing," said Marianna Islam, Worcester resident and volunteer organizer and Co-founder of Youth Empowerment and Activism.

On Saturday night, Spring parked in a handicap spot waiting for her girlfriend to come out of the 99. Two minutes later, a white male parked his car in front of her and blocked her in. He told her several times to "Get the (expletive) out of the parking spot," and witnesses there said he called Spring a "n-word" "at least seven times."

"These stories are more common then people think," Islam continued. "These behaviors and subsequent actions only demonstrate that people are willing to cosign racist behavior. On a much larger scale, we are seeing this type of response in Ferguson and across the country concerning state sanctioned police brutality. The silence and inaction among many is cosigning the problem. On a local level, people are speaking up and organizing around these issues but we are still up against the silence and the denial that racism still exists."

Spring has subsequently filed a complaint with Pub 99's corporate offices.

"White supremacy is the neurosis that makes the Pub 99 parking lot and Ferguson possible. I only wish I could have been there. It would have been quite a different story," said Jerry.

Islam adds, "If you want to see change, let your voices be heard, interrupt injustice, capture what you are witnessing and experiencing on video and join the growing movement in Worcester."