08/07/2024
STATEMENT ON THE DESPICABLE HARASSMENT IN VIRGINIA CITY.
As many of you know, I am working on a pair of books about Virginia City history, and Sharon Provost and I spent this past weekend attending the "Hot August Nights" classic car event there. During that event, a person who apparently owns property along the show route confronted a Black signature gatherer, making racist and vulgar references that I won't repeat here: They go far beyond what I'm used to seeing, even from most bigots.
During a video shot by the man who was accosted, which is extensive, one of the people harassing him asks whether he "knows the history of the town" - as if to suggest that the town is somehow historically racist. The person's extreme ignorance of history only compounds an already disgusting sequence of events. The fact is that Virginia City was heavily Republican during the Civil War and supportive of Lincoln. Another fact: It was home to a Black-owned business, the Boston Saloon, where residents were welcomed regardless of race.
Also during the video, a woman condescendingly tries to "herd" the victim of the harassment away, cooing that she loves him, that he's her "brother," and that Jesus loves him. All the while, she's telling him to get off her property even though he's on the sidewalk and, later, in the middle of the street - PUBLIC property. I've never seen anything so disingenuous and insulting. I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd called him "boy."
Meanwhile, a man in a red "Make America Great Again" hat speaks up in support of the initial harasser. This just confirms, yet again, what has already become clear over the past several years: the leadership of the Republican Party, specifically Donald Trump, has enabled and emboldened racists to come out of the woodwork and bully, threaten, and berate people based on their own hateful bigotry. THIS IS NOT OK.
Sharon and I were approached by a signature-gatherer during the event (not the same gentleman), and he was nothing but polite and courteous. The only Black gentleman I saw was one of the vendors, whom I approached to ask about his products, and who was one of the nicest guys I ran into. He didn't push his merchandise (car-shaped speakers that played music), but simply explained how they worked and was just plain FRIENDLY. I can only imagine what he must be thinking in the wake of this incident. Will he return to VC after this? I wouldn't blame him if he didn't, and that's a tragedy too. As a vendor myself, I know he's precisely the kind of vendor that you WANT at an event.
The instigators of this hatred have, according to news reports, had their registration in Hot August Nights revoked. My concern is that, since they appear to own property along the route, they may have succeeded in ruining the event for everyone. The future of Hot August Nights in VC is, according to media outlets, being evaluated in the wake of the incident. I hope it won't be canceled, but I also hope steps can be taken to guarantee nothing like this occurs again.
Sharon and I are heartsick for the man who was harassed, as well as for the welcoming members of the community who are dealing with the fallout from these disgusting acts. As a citizen, an author, and a student of history, I stand with those in Virginia City and elsewhere who are condemning the vile, racist actions of the instigators in no uncertain terms. Such acts should not be tolerated. Not in Virginia City. Not anywhere.
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