<p>LOWELL — White supremacist ideology was the last thought on Allison Vollmar’s mind when she scanned a QR code off a sticker pasted to a railing along Lowell’s Riverwalk.</p><p>“I scanned it, and it went to a Patriot Front website,” Vollmar said by phone on Friday. “I thought, ‘Oh, geez, this isn’t good.’ So, I just kind of scraped it off with my fingernails.”</p><p>She found several more during her walk.</p><p>According to the Anti-Defamation League, Patriot Front is a Texas-based “white supremacist group whose members… define themselves as American fascists or American nationalists who are focused on preserving America’s identity as a European-American nation.”</p><p>The group formed in the aftermath of the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, during which protestor James Alex Fields plowed his car into a group of counterprotesters and killed Heather Heyer.</p><p>Then-President Donald Trump gave a speech describing the violence that followed the tiki-torch carrying white nationalists holding antisemitic signs, as "…very fine people, on both sides."</p><p>This reconstituted version of homegrown fascism marched through Downtown Boston last summer carrying riot shields and banners reading “Reclaim America” and “Strong Families Make Strong Nations,” and Patriot Front flags.</p><p>Vollmar knew all that backstory, but she chalked the stickers up to a one-off issue. That is, until on Labor Day weekend, when she found a swastika drawn on the elevator panel in the lobby of the Downes Garage on French and John streets in Lowell's National Historical Park.</p><p>The swastikas were scrawled in permanent marker on elevator panels on several floors, said Vollmar, and they looked freshly made.</p><p>“We want to chalk it up to knuckleheads, but we all need to be looking out for this sort of thing,” she said. “I snapped a picture on my phone of the swastikas, and sent it to Wayne Jenness over social media.”</p><p>Jenness, a city councilor in District 4, who represents the residents in Downtown Lowell, among other neighborhoods, immediately reached out to City Manager Tom Golden’s team.</p><p>“I texted Tom (Golden) and Shawn (Assistant City Manager Machado) at 12:22 p.m., about it,” Jenness said by text on Friday. “Shawn texted me at 6:45 p.m., that it had been removed… I would just say that I was very thankful that she reported it to me, and very appreciative of the quick action from the administration and specifically DPW employees for coming in on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of a long weekend to remove it.”</p><p>A few days after the Downes Garage vandalism, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan issued a statement, after a group of neo-Nazis, identified as part of the Nationalist Social Club, or NSC-131, attempted to intimidate refugees in a Marlboro hotel over the weekend.</p><p>On Aug. 8, Gov. Maura Healey announced a state of emergency due to the rapidly rising number of migrant families in need of shelter and services. The administration of UMass Lowell confirmed that its 252-room Inn & Conference Center on Warren Street in Downtown Lowell was closing Sept. 13, fueling speculation that it is a possible housing site for migrants fleeing unrest and violence.</p><p>“The United States is a nation built by immigrants from all over the world, and Massachusetts has benefitted mightily from the contributions of refugees and immigrants for generations,” Trahan said. “We’re not going to stand idly by while a bunch of neo-Nazi bullies try to intimidate refugees who legally came to this nation in search of a better life for their families.”</p><p>NSC-131, a New England neo-Nazi organization, is led by <a href="https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/01/17/mass-hate-group-leader-subject-of-n-h-civil-rights-complaint/">Christopher Hood</a>, formerly of Pepperell, who was the subject of a January civil rights complaint by the New Hampshire attorney general. At a July 2022 protest, Hood led a group of NSC-131 members in hanging banners that read “Keep New England White” from an overpass overlooking U.S. Route 1 in Portsmouth. A superior court judge dismissed the civil rights case in June, however, citing free speech protections, but the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office is appealing that ruling, WMUR reported.</p><p>Hate groups may not be new to the commonwealth, but symbols of their ideology in the Mill City are, said Vollmar, who said she has “never seen anything like this before in Lowell.”</p><p>If these specific acts of white supremacist vandalism and propaganda are "testing the waters" in Lowell, the perpetrators will not find a warm welcome, said Golden.</p><p>"Upon learning about this cowardly and vile act – Our DPW removed it on Sunday within hours,” he said by text on Friday. “Hate has not and never will be tolerated in Lowell.”</p><p>Trahan’s statement also closed with an affirmation of American values that embraces diversity and acceptance.</p><p>“The beliefs and actions of this hate group go against every value we hold dear as Americans and as citizens of Massachusetts,” she said. “I join thousands of folks in Marlborough and across the Commonwealth in saying clearly and unequivocally that hate has no place here.”</p><p>It was the message Trahan delivered in person to a group of LGBTQ+ leaders during a roundtable discussion in June during Pride Month. Anthony Bovenzi, president NoWoCo Pride, a Fitchburg-based LGBTQ+ group for North Worcester County and beyond, spoke to the challenges Pride events face from white supremacist groups.</p><p>“Massachusetts is great on many fronts, but Massachusetts is also the biggest safe haven for White supremacist groups, and they are constantly threatening our Pride,” he told Trahan. “Right now, I’m receiving 10 death threats a week from white supremacist groups all over the Northeast including, Massachusetts.”</p><p>He noted that five of the groups are based in Fitchburg alone, with Proud Boys active in Brookfield and Spencer.</p><p>For her part, Vollmar is glad she elevated her concerns and grateful for the city’s quick response.</p><p>“I’m probably going to be extra vigilant as I walk around, and be aware of what’s around me,” she said.</p>
Lori Trahan
Chelmsford veteran to launch advocacy group for Afghan refugees, provide ‘better outcomes’ for families
<p>This month marks two years since the evacuation at Kabul, in which more than 120,000 Afghans fled the country after the Taliban regained control of the city. Close to 100,000 now call the United States home, but hardships followed many of them across the border.</p><p>“I think there is a reasonable amount of empathy to Afghan veterans,” said John Moses, a Chelmsford resident and veteran who served in Afghanistan. “And if they don’t have empathy, I make sure I remind them that they told me they had empathy.”</p><p>Moses, also a Chelmsford School Committee member, rallied local volunteers to form a neighborhood support team, which assists specific families in their transition to a new life in their community — in essence, it’s a “local support arm” of the federal immigration process, Moses said.</p><p>Even with designated help, Moses said there are still lapses in information for resources, funding and advocacy for refugees whose families remained overseas. There is only so much volunteers could do.</p><p>With that in mind, Moses is founding the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, a “middleman” organization that will work between the neighborhood support teams and resettlement agencies to ensure “better outcomes for Afghan families,” he said. They intend to serve people across the 3rd Congressional District, including Chelmsford, Lowell, Townsend, Westford, Haverhill, Ashburnham and elsewhere.</p><p>“I kept finding all these different volunteer groups and they’re like, ‘We don’t know what to do. We don’t get information from resettlement agencies. We’re out of money,’” Moses said. “What I want to do is build that middle ground between that and then encourage and improve relationships and resources on the bottom and improve gaps that the resettlement agencies have.”</p><p>The International Institute of New England, a nonprofit immigrant assistance agency, will welcome an estimated 120 refugees between October 2022 and September 2023, Lowell Managing Director Caroline Rowe <a href="https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/05/14/chelmsford-high-student-afghan-refugee-awaits-reunification-with-family-after-two-years-apart/">told</a> The Sun in May. The organization resettled 236 Afghans last year, and Moses said about 3,000 Afghans refugees reside in Massachusetts.</p><p>Specific numbers, however, are hard to come by — Moses said there’s “no visibility” into where and how many Afghans there are in the area, which means they’re often unable to offer support. Through Mass. Afghan Alliance, Moses hopes to track more data around local Afghan populations.</p><p>Moses mentioned Zubair Sadat, a Chelmsford High School student who <a href="https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/05/14/chelmsford-high-student-afghan-refugee-awaits-reunification-with-family-after-two-years-apart/">fled</a> from Kabul in 2021 and is still waiting for his family to join him. Like Zubair, an unaccompanied minor, often only one or two refugees will come to the U.S. together, leaving behind large families that the resettlement agencies don't necessarily know about. That puts a burden on local advocates to help in reunification cases, as well as find appropriate accommodations.</p><p>“What I’m learning is that we don’t know how many Afghans there are in this district at all,” Moses said. “We don’t know how many reunification cases there are, and that has a really long-term downside … You have to prepare for all these people you don’t know are coming and the federal government didn’t tell you.”</p><p>It’s also about resiliency for Afghan refugees, Moses said, and he plans to provide mental health support for those coming to Massachusetts.</p><p>MAA is supported by Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, described as a public policy think tank that provides Moses access to a fundraising network, research assistants and access to other fellows across the country.</p><p>U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Lowell, wrote Moses a letter of support to the Hoover Institution before he was accepted, he said.</p><p>Jorge Morales-Lopez, constituent services advisor for Trahan’s office, will serve as a congressional liaison for MAA. Since the evacuation two summers ago, Morales-Lopez wrote in an email that the organization is making “a coordinated effort” to ensure Afghans secure the safety they need.</p><p>“As any Afghan refugee will tell you, the journey doesn’t end when they finally board the plane to the United States,” Morales-Lopez wrote. “There is a significant need for local, state, federal, nonprofit, and faith-based services to support refugees and their families when they arrive here in the Commonwealth, which is why I’m thankful John and the team at Massachusetts Afghan Alliance is prioritizing wrap-around support for every step of this long, difficult process.”</p><p>Terry Symula, of Harvard, is currently assisting two large families out of a formerly vacant town building. Working with a team of volunteers, Symula — now an adviser for MAA — drives family members to appointments, helps with paying bills and advocates for their needs, most recently in court. They call her “grandmother.”</p><p>Behishta, 17, is the oldest sister in her family of nine — six girls, one boy — who live on the home’s second floor. She recently obtained her driving permit and attends English learning classes three times a week on top of school. Behishta is entering her senior year, and after graduation, she plans on joining Job Corps and later becoming a journalist.</p><p>Finding permanent residence was a challenge. Behishta and her family have lived in Germany, Philadelphia, Texas and Worcester over the last two years, but will stay in Harvard at least until the end of this upcoming school year, in June, when their lease is up.</p><p>Though her sister, Shayesta, 16, calls Harvard “jungle city,” Behishta said she feels a sense of community there. In Afghanistan, young women are not entitled to an education, but here, Behishta said she has hope for her future.</p><p>“I’m so lucky,” she said. “We don’t have this good chance in Afghanistan … They did decide who you want to marry and what age you want to marry, with who, and there’s a lot of people who are married at age 12, 15, 14, which is sad. And my mom, she told me, ‘You can decide anyone you like, you can decide,’ and that made me so happy.”</p><p>Still, the reality of life in Afghanistan hangs above their heads. Their uncle worked with Americans as a contracted employee, but since the Taliban took control, he’s been in hiding.</p><p>“He has a lot of opportunities to come here, and there’s no way to come because the Taliban don’t like him go,” Shayesta said of her uncle. “The airport is locked. There’s no way to go there.”</p><p>Resources for incoming refugees exist in silos, Symula said, so getting support is up to a number of volunteers making lots of phone calls. MAA could help with that, she said.</p><p>“It’s hard to get all the services that they’re entitled to,” Symula said. “You call MassHealth, it’s ‘Push one for Spanish.’ There’s no way to get to somebody that can help you by getting a translator … Sometimes you’re educating the people on the phone about the people that you’re supporting, because they’re not aware.”</p><p>Though Symula’s work is admirable, Moses said she is a special case. Many families are unable to receive that level of care and funding.</p><p>“We want to find better solutions,” Moses said. “It shouldn’t take an extraordinary act from a town and some people in a town.”</p>
Trahan: 50K homes eligible for cheaper broadband
LOWELL — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan highlighted enhanced broadband access in the 3rd District last week as a result of the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure. Rep. Trahan, a member of the Regional Leadership Council, published a report from the Regional Leadership Council that details the savings families in the 3rd District are experiencing through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
“Access to affordable, reliable broadband is vital for families to get ahead, for students to excel in school, and for all of us to stay connected to our loved ones. With the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden and House Democrats recognized the pressing need to close the digital divide and enhance broadband access nationwide,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Here in the Third District, the Affordable Connectivity Program has already helped 27,000 families, reducing broadband costs by nearly $10 million annually. However, there are nearly 50,000 more eligible homes that have not yet enrolled, and I’m committed to connecting with families with the resources they qualify for.”
To help close the digital divide, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which created the Emergency Broadband Benefit to provide affordable and accessible broadband access for low-income households. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expanded this program with the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided expanded broadband access to help qualifying households save up to $30 a month on internet costs.
In the state’s 3rd Congressional District, the Affordable Connectivity Program has helped 27,000 households, reducing broadband costs in the district by roughly $9,720,000 annually.
An additional estimated 47,000 households are eligible through the program, but have not yet enrolled.
Approximately 84.9% of households in the district live in an area where an internet service provider is offering a no-cost plan to Affordable Connectivity Program participants.
The full report is available online.
(COURTESY OFFICE OF U.S. REPRESENTATIVE LORI TRAHAN)
‘A devastating blow’: Lawmakers, higher ed officials react to Supreme Court’s repeal of affirmative action
The Supreme Court decided Thursday to strike down affirmative action, a long-held college admissions policy that permitted race to be factored into a potential student’s acceptance.
In the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, justices ruled the practice is unconstitutional and infringes on the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
Besides looking at test scores and GPAs, colleges attempted to address some applicants’ lack of educational resources by considering their background, and by doing so, they would increase the diversity on their campuses. Students from higher-income households tend to fare better on standardized tests than their lower-income peers, and the same goes for white and Asian students as compared to their Hispanic and Black counterparts, according to 2022 data provided by the College Board.
New Hampshire had already banned affirmative action prior to its federal repeal, meaning its private institutions will now also be affected.
After the court’s landmark ruling, many local lawmakers and universities shared their thoughts on the decision and the decades of precedent now turned void.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey held a press conference in Boston alongside current students and educational leaders to condemn “the far-right, extremist majority on the court” who have failed to protect people’s rights, he said.
Instead of advocating for those affected by systemic racism in the college admissions process, Markey said the Supreme Court is favoring the wealthy and privileged, and in turn, further widening the collegiate barrier to entry. He called the ruling “a devastating blow.”
“The decision to deny consideration of race in school admissions is grounded in the misguided notion that colorblindness is justice,” Markey said. “Colorblindness ignores deeply rooted institutional racism and its impacts on people based on the color of their skin. The Supreme Court of the United States is stomping on the dreams of our young people. The Supreme Court majority may think that they are blind to race, but what they are truly blind to is inequality, blind to injustice, blind to progress that our country must make. That is what the Supreme Court is blind to.”
U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan stated the move “will benefit the wealthy and well off” while hurting underrepresented groups “who have been traditionally overlooked.”
“The notion that prohibiting colleges from considering race as a factor for admission protects Black and brown students is ridiculous,” Trahan wrote in a tweet. “This decision turns back the clock on the progress made to ensure more equitable access to higher education, particularly prestigious schools.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren had similarly harsh words for the court and its conservative majority.
“An extremist Supreme Court has once again reversed decades of settled law, rolled back the march toward racial justice, and narrowed educational opportunity for all,” Warren wrote. “I won’t stop fighting for young people with big dreams who deserve an equal chance to pursue their future.”
Academic diversity is important because it ensures all Americans can receive an education, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton wrote in a statement. Rather than examine the affirmative action decision, he said colleges can reconfigure their admissions tools to find alternative ways of providing educational opportunities for students.
“But rather than just looking at this decision’s negative aspects, schools should try to innovate and accomplish these goals without anybody thinking that they got a seat just because of the color of their skin,” Moulton stated. “We need to recognize the impact of systemic racism in our country and fix it with sustainable solutions.”
At Middlesex Community College, more than half of the campus community is racially and ethnically diverse, making the court’s overturning detrimental to the institution, said MCC President Phil Sisson.
Despite the expected negative impacts, Sisson stated the college will continue to create a welcoming environment for students from all walks of life, including first-generation students, students of color, LGBTQ+ students and “students from underrepresented communities.”
“Our community of learners come to us from different backgrounds and stages of their lives in order to start their education, advance in their careers, provide for their families, and update their skills for professional and personal enrichment,” Sisson wrote in a statement. “The Supreme Court’s decision today does not align with MCC’s mission; however, that will not stop us in fulfilling our mission. We will continue to support and guide students from all experiences to ensure everyone has access to higher education.”
UMass President Marty Meehan and the five chancellors across the UMass system — including UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen — signed a joint statement addressing the repeal. Administration is working to understand the ramifications of the court’s decision and its impact on UMass’s admissions, they wrote.
“The University of Massachusetts will continue to follow the law, and will do so while sustaining its deep and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” the statement reads. “We believe this is essential to the advancement of academic excellence and critical to the preparation of our students to succeed in a global economy.”
In a message to the campus community, Fitchburg State University President Richard Lapidus reassured students and faculty of the school’s commitment to “making higher education opportunities accessible for students.” Affirmative action’s demise doesn’t mean an end to the university’s longstanding goal of admitting diverse students, he sad.
“We believe in providing all individuals, particularly those who face socioeconomic barriers to opportunity and advancement, with the ability to earn a degree and contribute to the economic, social and civic life of their communities,” Lapidus wrote. “I am proud of the important work our institution does every day to support our students, now and into the future.”
Lori Trahan among those who supported debt ceiling compromise
LEOMINSTER — With two days to spare, President Joe Biden signed a bill to suspend the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling through Jan. 1, 2025 on Saturday.
As it looked like a deal may not be reached, Americans grew anxious of what a default on the national debt could mean.
The national debt ceiling is a fixed number of allowed money to be borrowed by the United States government to cover its spending and debt. Even with the bill signed, many are concerned about the growing amount of money the country owes. Defaulting would have meant that the country would have been unable to pay its bills.
“Most of the federal budget is devoted to mandatory spending on social insurance programs such as income security, healthcare and social security.” said Christa Marr, a professor of Economics at Fitchburg State University.
Millions of Americans are reliant on federally funded programs like Social Security. If the nation were to default, economists believe that the first people to feel the effects would be federal employees and those reliant on federally funded programs and benefits.
“Many Americans rely on payments from these programs in order to afford basic necessities like food and housing.” Marr said.
Although Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey voted no on the compromise bill struck between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan was among those to support the bill’s passage.
“This compromise bill helped protect [federally funded] programs,” Trahan said, discussing social security, medicaid and disability income programs.
To put the impact of a default in perspective, Trahan’s office said the impact could have seen 73,000 jobs lost, put 823,000 families on social security at risk, jeopardized healthcare benefits for 2.3 millions residents which includes Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs, increased lifetime mortgage costs by $90,000, raised the costs of new car loans by $800, threatened retirement savings of 962,000 residents by eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.
Not would this have affected income for millions of Americans but also communities. Local projects are often funded at the federal level, such as the Theater Block in Fitchburg. However, Trahan assured that projects such as these are not in immediate detriment and “will be dealt with in the appropriations process.”
“While I do disagree with some of the provisions in this compromise bill, it is far from where we began.” Trahan said, “This deal fulfilled our obligation to the United States, which is why I voted yes.”
Pride on the march in 3rd District and beyond
LOWELL — The commonwealth is home to almost 7 million residents with nearly half a million Bay Staters identifying as LGBTQ+.
June is Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, when police violently raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, igniting a riot that led to the gay liberation movement.
U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan kicked off Pride Month with a roundtable at UMass Lowell Thursday morning at which she heard from 15 community leaders who provide resources, services and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
She introduced herself to the group as an ally, saying that she was committed to standing “shoulder-to-shoulder with you” to create opportunities and safe spaces for people in her 3rd Congressional District, in the state and the nation.
“It is up to all of us to ensure that we are protecting the lives and livelihoods of LGBTQ+ citizens across the world,” she said, before opening up the floor to hear from the participants who worked in academic, governmental, health care, business and nonprofit sectors across the state.
Some attendees, like Isa Woldeguiorguis and Masada Jones, hail from Lowell. Both work at the Center for Hope and Healing, whose mission is to end sexual violence.
Junior Peña is the executive director for Student Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Initiatives at Fitchburg State University, whose work focuses on identifying biases and creating a welcoming space for students on campus.
Overall, all the members present spoke to elevating awareness and visibility of the community through their outreach and educational programs. They all spoke to feeling that Massachusetts was a leader in creating an equitable environment, even as they recognized financial, political and societal challenges to the effort.
Same-sex marriage was legally recognized in 2004, Maura Healey is the first woman elected governor in the commonwealth and the first lesbian governor in the U.S., and roundtable speaker Julie Chen is the first LGBTQ+ chancellor of the UMass system.
Chen said inclusion was one of the pillars of UMass Lowell’s four-point strategic plan.
“We are very conscious of making sure that everybody at this university feels like they belong,” she said. “So that you can be your best self here at this university.”
She cited a survey of undergraduates in 2022 in which more than 1,000 students identified as LGBTQ+.
“We want to provide whatever resources our students need so that they can be successful,” Chen said.
The city of Lowell was represented by City Manager Tom Golden who said the “city stands with all of you.”
“We want to make sure that everyone who comes to Lowell feels welcome,” he said. “To make people feel comfortable, safe and to want to be part of our community to build a better tomorrow.”
Members of the community said their work was threatened by white supremacy groups like the Proud Boys. Anti-LGBTQ+ groups like Mass Resistance and the Mass Family Institute are headquartered in Massachusetts.
Anthony Bovenzi is the president of NoWoCoPride, a gay and lesbian organization based in Fitchburg that produces events and activities in North Worcester and beyond.
“Massachusetts is great on many fronts, but (it) is also the biggest safe haven for white supremacist groups, and they are constantly threatening our Pride,” he told Trahan. “Right now, I’m receiving 10 death threats a week from white supremacist groups all over New England including Massachusetts.”
The organization works closely with state and local police to monitor the threats and increased their security budget.
“There are five white supremacist groups based in Fitchburg alone,” Bovenzi said. “The Proud Boys are based in Brookfield and Spencer.”
The gains made in trans rights are also threatened by racist-based groups operating in the commonwealth, said Dallas Ducar. She is the executive director for Transhealth, based out of Western Mass., which provides gender-affirming care for people across the state and New England.
Besides its medical services, the organization also trains students, doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in gender-affirming health care.
Like Bovenzi’s NoWoCo, a portion of Transhealth’s budget also goes to security to protect against anti-trans threats.
“As a clinic we had to go silent until we received Homeland Security funding to be able to have safety,” she said. “We had to take our providers off the website.”
She said the threats represent an extreme, radical element with the majority of people expressing a bipartisan support for LGBTQ+ issues.
That was a position that Woldeguiorguis pushed back at, saying, “There’s a notion that white supremacists are the fringe. They are built off of a foundation of white supremacy in this country that has existed long before Proud Boys.”
In closing, Trahan said the conversation was enlightening and she was committed to elevating the work and partnering with the groups represented at the table.
“We’re going to continue leading with joy but being vigilant along the way,” she said. “We are partners in this effort.”
The city of Lowell kicks off Pride Month on Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m., with a flag-raising ceremony and a performance by the New England Pride Colorguard Ensemble, in front of City Hall, 375 Merrimack St. The public is also invited to join the Colorguard and The Party Band as they lead a parade from City Hall to Kerouac Park, 75 Bridge St., for a noon to 4 p.m. festival. For information, call 978-674-1482 or email rdei@lowellma.gov.
