As many Wakefield residents will remember, neo-nazi leader Mathew Hale and his followers paid a visit to our town in September 2002. While the visit caused a spectacle in our downtown area, many Wakefield residents took part in an event that took place at the Wakefield-Lynnfield Methodist Church. Called “Hate May Visit, But Love Lives Here,” the gathering celebrated the welcoming side of Wakefield. It also provided information about the First Amendment, particularly, as to why our library could not legally deny the hate group’s reservation request to use a conference room for their meeting.
While any group has a right to hang out and hold signs, etc. (and we do have visits from one group that sets up shop in front of the post office or at the corner of North Ave and Albion) I was surprised to learn that a blatant white-supremacist group with a big White Lives Matter sign appeared in Wakefield on Sunday, April 11.
I then learned that those standing out were taking part in what was a largely failed movement meant to inspire big gatherings across the nation.
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It could be that the poor turnout reflects a growing understanding in our country of systemic racism and the related disenfranchisement of people of color, including especially those whose ancestors were brought here as slaves and those whose lands here were taken from right under their feet.
Or not. Hopefully, as we did in 2002, Wakefield will show that it does not support white supremacy movements and will use lessons learned from past and current issues and events to continue evolving into a more resilient, equitable, and forward-looking community.
