I haven’t had time to write in depth about the situation in Newton, MA in which the mayor ordered the erasure of red, green, and white stripes down the center of a main road in the city’s predominantly Italian American neighborhood. The mayor, Ruthanne Fuller, claimed that traffic regulations necessitated her actions, and I don’t have enough knowledge to form an opinion on whether or not this is true. But it certainly seems discriminatory to erase the colors of the Italian flag at the same time as communities all across the state and country have been actively painting crosswalks with colors that represent gay and trans people.
In lieu of writing a longer blog post, I am going to share an excellent post from the Italian American Civil Rights League (IACRL), which you can read here.
An excerpt:
“Why is there a push to erase the heritage, the contributions, and the cultural gifts that Italian Americans have given to this country? This isn’t just about paint on a road. This is about erasing history. Dismissing legacy. Silencing pride”
Amen to that.
The IACRL made another post about the community’s response to the erasure, which included attempts by residents to repaint the lines, resulting in one individual being briefly arrested. “What was erased in silence is being restored in unity,” the post notes. I agree with the IACRL that seeing the locals repainting the symbol of their heritage is a beautiful thing indeed. I admire their bravery and spirit.