Lebanon
However, it’s not quite certain what form that stand ultimately will take.
A group of city councilors on Wednesday committed to drafting a formal resolution to denounce racism. But some people are calling for the community to do more to address racial issues within the city, hinting that Lebanon should take lessons learned in neighboring Hartford and build upon efforts there.
“It’s undeniable that this act was meant to foment hatred in some and instill fear in others,” Lebanon resident Kathy Beckett said of the flyers during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
Lebanon police earlier this month opened an investigation into what they termed “racially charged” flyers placed under the windshields of vehicles parked at the Upper Valley Plaza on Route 12A.
At least two people reported the flyers, Lebanon Police Chief Richard Mello said at the time. The flyer, which was shared by police, argued that “Aryans,” or white people, are superior to other races. It also featured numbers and symbols referencing Adolph Hitler.
Mello said on Thursday that police haven’t received any more reports in the following weeks, though he said the case technically still is open. But because the messaging is protected under the First Amendment, he said, the investigation is limited.
Speaking before the City Council, Beckett noted Lebanon’s 2015 status as a “Best Small Town” in America.
“In light of this recent incident, I cannot help but ask if it is the ‘best small town’ for all its residents,” she said. “We, the people of Lebanon, have a responsibility to do all that we can to change that.”
Susan Kellogg, a local chiropractor with offices on Bank Street, also expressed a concern about the flyers, telling councilors on Wednesday that the Lebanon community needs to confront racism rather than remain silent.
“I grew up in the South and I miss diversity,” she said, gesturing to a meeting room filled solely by white people. “This white space is representative of what we live in here. And unless we become more welcoming to people of color, this won’t change.”
A little more than 88 percent of Lebanon’s population identified as white in 2010, according to the federal census bureau. Whites made up about 93 percent of New Hampshire’s population at the time, census figures show.
Kellogg said those numbers are apparent in the racism she’s seen bubbling up, not only in Lebanon but also in Hartford and nationally. At least in Hartford, she said, people appear to be grappling with those issues.
“I felt like the rest of the Upper Valley was standing around saying ‘Isn’t that too bad? Hartford has a racism problem,’ ” she said. “I don’t feel like just Hartford has the racism problem. I don’t feel like just the Upper Valley has a racism problem. This is a systemic national, global problem.”
Last year, the Hartford Selectboard and School Board formed a joint Committee on Racial Inequality, after then-Selectboard member Mike Morris forwarded an email to a Valley News columnist that included a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama, Obama’s family and former Attorney General Eric Holder.
The Hartford committee, which began its work last spring, issued several recommendations to improve racial equity earlier this month. They include creation of a standing committee and multi-year strategic plan to address race-related issues.
While that group’s work can be considered a success, Hartford’s discussions on race are far from over, Hartford Selectboard Chairman Simon Dennis said on Thursday.
“It’s something that’s going to take a long-term commitment,” said Dennis, who also served on the racial inequality committee. “It’s not (enough) that we can form a committee and then consider that our work is done.”
Dennis also pointed out that challenges facing Hartford likely can be found in other Upper Valley communities, including Lebanon. But, he said, each municipality has to face those issues in its own way.
Although some towns might want to form their own committees, Dennis said, others might be interested in learning and building on Hartford’s efforts.
“I think that (the Hartford committee) did good work and they provided a road map for other communities,” Lebanon Mayor Sue Prentiss said on Thursday.
Prentiss, who issued her own statement denouncing the flyers, said she wouldn’t be opposed to drawing from Hartford’s work, and potentially adopting some of its committee’s recommendations.
However, she said, Lebanon’s politicians should first look to draw a line in the sand, stating in a formal resolution that racism will not be welcomed in the community.
Longtime City Councilor Karen Liot Hill agreed, saying on Thursday that local politicians need to take a stand against the message contained in the flyers.
“There is no place for racism in the Upper Valley and we want to make it clear that everyone is welcome in our community,” she said in a phone interview.
Liot Hill said this isn’t the fist time that Lebanon has faced racist messages. She co-owns a diner on the Lebanon Mall and, a few years ago, found white supremacist stickers placed on nearby trash cans.
“I’m the mother of a biracial daughter and, sadly, our family is aware that racism exists in the Upper Valley,” Liot Hill said, adding that offensive comments can come from both well-intentioned mistakes and explicit racism.
“It’s really hard to know what to do,” she said. “You want to shield your children from injustice, but also can’t control the rest of the world.”
City Councilor Erling Heistad also spoke of challenges as the adoptive father of a minority son who left Lebanon for Alaska in the 1970s.
“He said ‘Erling, it doesn’t make any difference what color I am up here, but it does in Lebanon,’ ” Heistad told fellow councilors on Wednesday.
Heistad also recounted his experience helping bring 12 black students to Lebanon High School in the 1960s as part of the Dartmouth-led A Better Chance program.
“They were not welcomed and I was not welcomed in this town,” he said. “Walking down the street, I would get a lot of flack because I was involved with bringing black students into this town.”
“I think that we could be much more inclusive, welcoming to peoples of all races, and colors and religions,” Heistad said, tearing up.
Prentiss, who met with local activists on Thursday morning, said the city’s first step will be to draft a resolution condemning the flyers. She’s charged councilors Liot Hill and Karen Zook with writing the language, which will be considered sometime in May.
The city might then consider some of the recommendations made in Hartford, she said.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.