At a town hall Wednesday night, Rochester leaders vowed to get justice for a five-year-old boy at the center of a
racist incident
It was all recorded on video.
Approximately 100 individuals convened at the city’s Civic Center for a town hall meeting. Among the panelists were several key figures, such as Rochester NAACP President Wale Elegbede and Mayor Kim Norton.
The video shows
A guy facing off against a woman
Shiloh Hendrix, for using a derogatory term towards the boy at the playground in town and subsequently repeating it.
“Things aren’t right here, and we won’t accept them,” stated Mayor Norton. “Parks ought to be spaces for happiness, security, and feeling at home.”
In the video, Hendrix accuses the boy of stealing from her toddler’s diaper bag, repeating the word several times and gesturing.
The group is insisting that she should be held responsible and stand trial.
“At present, we strongly urge the city attorney and/or the county attorney to examine all laws available that could be used to hold this woman responsible for her actions,” stated Joel Franklin, president of the NAACP Minnesota/Dakotas Area State Conference.
The Rochester Police Department says it has finished investigating after viewing a troubling video shared online. According to their official statement, “The City of Rochester Police Department has concluded its probe into the unsettling clip circulated on social media platforms. The gathered evidence will now be forwarded to the Rochester City Attorney’s Office so they can make decisions regarding potential charges. It should be noted that our department treats every complaint with utmost seriousness and conducts comprehensive inquiries to uphold legal procedures. We understand how distressing the actions depicted in this footage may seem, and we value the public’s cooperation throughout our inquiry as well as going ahead.”
The leaders contend that this incident is part of a larger pattern, highlighting multiple instances from last year where racist remarks surfaced — such as when teenagers formed an epithet using cups against a chain-link fence, and another occasion involving swastika graffiti at a State Representative’s residence.
“America has a history that we all should strive to understand, and it’s clear that if it doesn’t affect my child, it will eventually impact yours,” stated local entrepreneur Joseph Phillips.
The boy’s family also spoke out for the first time, asking for privacy and writing in part, “We are doing everything we can to shield our child from further trauma.”
