PaulPallazola
August 18, 1980
Early on the morning of July 15, 1980 an unarmed 14 year old black boy named Levi Hart was shot & killed by a white Boston Police Officer named Richard Bourque. I was a member of the Boston Chapter of Youth Against War & Fascism, one of the first community groups to demand a public inquiry into Hart’s death. On August 18th Roxbury District Judge Richard L. Banks announced that “ample cause” had been found that Bourque acted illegally in shooting Hart. Nonetheless a grand jury refused to indict the white policeman. I participated in community protests and forums denouncing the failure of the city of Boston to bring Hart’s killer to justice. Later that month I wrote a letter to the editor of the Gloucester Times that was published under the title “Dedicated to the Dream of No Racism”.
Thank you Albert. I think it was Jaqueline Kennedy who said ” It is better to light a single candle than curse the darkness”. Hoping to shine enough light to take out the dark side of i justice.
Racism still thrives everywhere. A sad reality, is not it? But I applaud the people like you, Paul, who is always willing to defend social justice!