Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Revere BLM reacts to potential hate crime at Friday Rally (Editor’s Note: This is a press release submitted to The Advocate by Revere Black Lives Matter.) C rowds gathered outside Revere City Hall, last Friday afternoon, in response to a recent act of vandalism, now being investigated as a potential hate crime. The rally was organized by the same youth of the local Black Lives matter march (that took place a few weeks ago), as well as Moroccan-American Connections In Revere (MACIR) and individual community members. “City offi cials have failed this family. They have failed all of us here,” explained Seba Ismail, one of the organizers, in the opening remarks. “They failed to adequately inform us of this crime. They failed to offer us safety when our lives are threatened. They failed to acknowledge racism in this city. They failed me and they failed you.” City offi cials, specifi cally Mayor Arrigo, were also criticized durASSISTANCE | FROM PAGE 13 Counseling Assistance and the FEMA Public Assistance Program to reimburse local governments, state agencies, and certain private nonprofits as we continue to support longer-term recovery.” At the outset of the program, MassSupport will support the Mass 2-1-1 call center and will deploy outreach counselors and clinicians to provide psychological fi rst aid in the form of basic education and counseling around issues related to the pandemic, and will assess high-risk individuals for mental health referrals. Future expansions include the provision of more crisis counseling for the lasting eff ects of the pandemic, community education on coping with ongoing stress and building emotional resilience, and asing the rally for recently taking down a BLM banner at the front of city hall and replacing it with the American fl ag. While the mayor’s offi ce has repeatedly insisted to complaintcallers that the removal of the banner was only due to the recent police chief’s retirement ceremony and upcoming Fourth Of July festivities, many fi nd these to be unacceptable excuses. “Either they are trying to tell us that Black lives only matter until ‘blue’ lives do or that American independence has nothing to do with Black liberation and Black lives,” explained Somaya Laroussi, one of the organizers. “Either way, this is a clear act of performative activism or we don’t need that right now – not with the BLM movement and not when we have hate crimes like these going on in our city.” sistance for people applying for services to relieve crisis-related burdens. To tailor assistance to the wide variety of needs representing diverse communities throughout Massachusetts, Riverside responders will gather input from local community and public health leaders, school personnel, and fi rst responders, will work with mental health providers to create networks and streamline referrals and will disseminate targeted information via outreach efforts and social media. For additional information on the MassSupport program, please call 888-215-4920 or email masssupport@riversidecc.org. Visit the website at www.masssupport.org. The Crisis Counseling ProASSISTANCE | SEE PAGE 19 Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for family since 1958 • 62 over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roofing • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! The rally organizers went on to allow people to speak on behalf of diff erent affi liated organizations: MACIR, and Revere Education Justice Alliance (REJA), and Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which have been legally representing the family that was victim to the crime. “This should not be called an [isolated] incident because there is a trend of hate crimes in Revere,” declared Rashid Moukhabir, director of MACIR. “This became a problem and this is the time to implement systematic changes to prevent it from happening again.” Following an open mic, the organizers each read off a compiled list of demands they had for city leaders. The demands include: - Greater transparency with the public regarding hate crimes. ReJOBS | FROM PAGE 13 ning July 20. Residents should call 617-279-0545 to learn more and register. Revere Works is being funded with a $95,000 Urban Agenda grant from the Baker-Polito Administration, $100,000 in matching funds from the City of Revere and $106,000 of inkind contributions from program partners. As a priority next step identifi ed through the City of Revere’s master planning process, which was completed in 2019, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) will lead the development of a comprehensive workforce development strategy for Revere that addresses short- and long-term opportunities, boom sectors and current and future employer partners. That work began with an initial steering committee of Revere Police should be adequately trained to properly handle these types of crimes and not put out irresponsible statements on social media while respecting the privacy of those involved. They should notify the public condemning racism and hate crimes immediately after they’re reported because these crimes endanger our community and people of color especially need to be informed. - Reallocate $1 Million that was initially going to be used to raise the police budget towards community-building and providing additional resources to PoC. In addition, this money can directly be used toward funding for social justice-based courses in our school system, African-American history, environmental activism, progressive politics, and civic engagement. - Enforce a zero-tolerance polivere Works members this week and will be completed in January 2021, with broader community engagement to come. Concurrently, Massachusetts General Hospital – in partnership with TND/CONNECT, the Chelsea Collaborative, the City of Chelsea, the City of Revere and the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board – will establish a cross-city coalition to coordinate municipal workforce development eff orts in the cities of Chelsea and Revere to increase skilled, benefi tted jobs for residents. The partnership was one of only three projects funded in the entire state by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, receiving $649,498 in MassUp funding. Amazon hiring underway, City working to maximize opportunities for residents Amazon has resumed accy for racism. Everyone in the city should be treated the same, especially by local government entities. Develop a process for complaints against city hall employees who engage in racist attacks against Revere residents. At the end of the rally, community members left a physical reminder of who they were and what brought them out in the form of chalk. The project was inspired by a young local artist named Mythsooka, who has social justice illustrations in chalk all across Boston. The pavement in front of city hall was decorated with colorful messages calling for inclusion, equality and acknowledgement that Black lives do matter. The organizers and other community members are looking forward to working alongside city leaders to make the changes they have demanded a reality. tive hiring for associates at its American Legion Highway facility under construction, with a target of hiring between 30 and 40 associates each week. Positions within the facility are full-time with pay ranging from $16/hour and up. A July opening of the facility is anticipated, and virtual info sessions for interested applicants will take place in the coming weeks. Job postings are available at www.amazon.jobs, and a virtual info session is scheduled for July 9. The City of Revere’s Economic Development team is also collaborating closely with Amazon to support the selection and recruitment of delivery service partners among locally owned businesses. Amazon will continue recruitment of driver associates throughout the summer; job postings are available at www.amazondelivers/jobs. Summer is Here!
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