Part 3: New Hampshire Stories of Race and Culture

MIKE: EIGHT MINUTES, 46 SECONDS. IN THAT SPAN OF TIME GEORGE FLOYD DIED IN THE CUSTODY OF MINNEAPOLIS POLICE. IT SPARKED AN OUTCRY FOR EQUALITY AND CHANGE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. IN SEPTEMBER, GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU APPROVING RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY. TONIGHT, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SAY THIS IS JUST STEP ONE. AT A TIME WHEN CALLS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND POLICE REFORM ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE NATION MORE THAN A DOZEN SIGNATURES BY NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION SIGNIFIED A UNANIMOUS CALL TO ACTION. >> I THINK THAT WE CERTAINLY HAVE UNDERSTOOD NEEDS TO ADDRESS CERTAIN AREAS AND THIS GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY. MIKE: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE IS ONE ARM OF THE COLLECTIVE TASKED WITH AMENDING THE CHECKS AND BALANCES WITHIN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S JUSTICE SYSTEM. AFTER MORE THAN TWO MONTHS OF COLLABORATION THE COMMITTEE AND 48 RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE ALL APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR. >> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN LAW-ENFORCEMENT IS HAVING INTERACTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT IT IS A POSITIVE ONE AND NOTHING BAD HAPPENS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. MIKE: JOSEPH SAYS ONE PROMISING RECOMMENDATION IS THE CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE IF THERE ARE CLAIMS OF OFFICER MISCONDUCT. AARON BROWN WAS FIRED IN 2018 FROM MANCHESTER PD FOR MAKING RACIST COMMENTS. THEY WILL BROWN SHOULD BE REINSTATED WITH BACK PAY. >> THERE HAS BEEN THIS NARRATIVE IN THIS VIEW OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATING ITSELF AND THEN TELLING THE PUBLIC, WELL, WE LOOKED AT THIS. IT IS NOT SUSTAINED. THIS ALLEGATION IS NOT SUSTAINED OR THE OFFICER WAS JUSTIFIED FOR HIS ACTIONS. WE HAVE HEARD THIS SO MUCH AND NOW THIS NEW AGENCY, GRANTED IT WILL BE MADE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, BUT IT IS INDEPENDENT. IT IS NOT CONNECTED TO ANY AGENCY. MIKE: PREVIOUSLY, THE AG TO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT ITS OWN INVESTIGATION OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT UNLESS A FORMAL COMPLETE WAS MADE. >> UNDER ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THE THOUGHT WAS YOU COULD HAVE RANDOM AUDITS TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING IN A PERSONNEL FILE WHERE THERE WAS AN OFFICER THE COMMITTED CRIMINAL ACT OR DID SOMETHING IMPROPER THAT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO LIGHT FOR WHATEVER REASON. WHETHER THAT WAS NEFARIOUS OR JUST SOMEBODY THAT DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEY SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THAT TO LIGHT. MIKE: ADDITIONALLY, THERE’LL BE INCREASED HOURS OF CURRICULUM ON IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING FOR ALL NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHICH ADVOCATES SAY HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED IN DECADES. >> THEY ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING THEIR CULTURAL DYNAMICS OF DIVERSITY CURRICULUM TO MORE THAN TWO HOURS. AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW IT IS ONLY TWO HOURS LONG AND YOU CANNOT SOME OF THE ENTIRE CULTURE OF BLACK PEOPLE OR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN TWO HOURS. THAT IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE. MONICA: DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO PUBLISHING NOVEL IN NORTH AMERICA WAS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE? HARRIET WILSON, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS HATTIE. SHE WAS BORN IN MILFORD AND MOVED TO MASSACHUSETTS WHERE SHE WROTE HER CONTROVERSIAL NARRATIVE FROM THE LIFE OF A FREE BLACK. IF YOU VISIT MILFORD’S BICENTENNIAL PARK, YOU WILL FIND A SCULPTURE OF WILSON, REPORTEDLY THE FIRST IN THE GRANITE STATE TO HONOR A PERSON OF COLOR. MIKE: ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO PUSHED FOR THAT STATUTE IS JERRI ANNE BOGGIS. SHE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE HARRIET WILSON PROJECT, THE RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT HER LIFE. DECADES AFTER HARRIET WILSON’S DEATH ANOTHER BLACK AUTHOR MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. SEAN MCDONALD TAKES US INSIDE "SKETCHES OF LEE." SOME LANGUAGE MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO HEAR. >> HEY, GIRLS. >> MIKE WARD IS LIKE ANY OTHER RESIDENT IN THIS RURAL SECTION OF LEE, RAISING PIGS AND GROWING VEGGIES IN THE YARD. BUT HIS LIFE STORY DIFFERS FROM MANY BECAUSE OF HIS SKIN COLOR. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND IN TELLING STORIES ABOUT MY FAMILY IS THAT IT HURTS. IT HURTS PEOPLE. >> WHEN THE WARD FAMILY MOVED TO LEE NEW HAMPSHIRE THERE WERE VERY FEW AFRICAN-AMERICANS. >> WE WERE ACCEPTED BY SOME AND NOT BY OTHERS. FOR THE MOST PART, PEOPLE THAT DID NOT ACCEPT US JUST LEFT US ALONE. >> BUT THE FAMILY DID EXPERIENCE OVER RACISM. SOMETIMES IN THREATENING CALLS TO THEIR HOUSE. >> WE HAD PEOPLE WHEN WE FIRST SHOWED UP WHO WOULD CALL AND TELL US WE HAD 15 MINUTES TO VACATE THE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY WERE COMING TO BURN THE [BLEEP] DOWN. >> HIS FATHER WAS KNOWN AS BEING THE KIND MAN WHO RAN A DINER IN EXETER. MIKE WARD WOULD LATER WRITE HIS FAMILY STORY INTO BOOKS. THEY ARE KNOWN AS "THE SKETCHES OF LEE." FILLED WITH FUNNY STORIES OF ADAPTING TO COLD WINTERS AND THE TIME A TEACHER STOPPED HIS FAMILY FROM BEING TEASED AT SCHOOL. >> YOU KNOW, COLORED PEOPLE HAVE PUT UP WITH ENOUGH CRAP IN THIS COUNTRY AND I AWKWARD TO STAND FOR IN MY CLASSROOM. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED. I GUESS I WAS LUCKY. NO, YOU WERE BRAVE. >> I AM SEAN MCDONALD, WMUR NEWS 9. MONICA: A NEW HAMPSHIRE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY IS RICH WITH HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO REVEREND EDMUND KELLY. BORN TO A SLAVE IS FIRST CONNECTION CAME AFTER HE ESCAPED TO MASSACHUSETTS IN 1843. HE LATER MOVED BACK TO THE SOUTH FOR RETURNING TO NEW ENGLAND AND SETTLING IN PORTSMOUTH IN 1873. HE HELPED ORGANIZE THE PEOPLE’S BAPTIST CHURCH. MIKE: IT BEGAN IN 1873 WHEN A SMALL GROUP STARTED GATHERING IN PRIVATE HOMES. LATER IN THE FORMER COMMUNITY MEETINGHOUSE. AS A DIVINITY STUDENT YOUNG MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DELIVERED THE 59TH ANNIVERSARY KEY ADDRESS OF THE CHURCH. IN AIKEN 68, MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH FOUNDED NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH WILL CHECK CONTINUED -- WHICH CONTINUE THE LEGACY. OUR JOURNEY TAKES US TO THE STORY OF A MAN CALLED THE MODERN-DAY SAME. MONICA: JONATHAN DANIELS HEARD THE CALL FOR HELP DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND TRAVEL TO ALABAMA IN 1965. INSTEAD OF COMING BACK TO THE GRANITE STATE THE 26-YEAR-OLD SEMINARY STUDENT STAYED IN THE SOUTH TO WORK ON VOTING RIGHTS AND THE INTEGRATION OF CHURCHES. DANIELS WAS ONE OF 30 PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR PICKETING WHITE STORES. RIGHT AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE TRIED TO BUY A DRINK FROM A STORE ACROSS THE STREET WHEN A PART-TIME DEPUTY THREATEN HIM AS FRIEND WITH A SHOTGUN, FIRING AT THE BLACK TEENAGE GIRL. DANIELS PUSHED HER OUT OF THE WAY AND WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. DR. KING SAID DANIELS HAD A "PROMISING LIFE AND IS STILL A TRAGEDY THAT WAS CUT SHORT." HE IS LISTED IN THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF THE MOURNERS AT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL IN GREAT BRITAIN. IN 1991, HIS NAME WAS ADOPTED TO THE CHURCH CALENDAR SAINT IN’S RUMFORD EVERY AUGUST 14. HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE WITH YOUR CHILDREN. >> KIDS TODAY ARE ULTRA-AWARE. MONICA: HOW ONE MOTHER IS TEACHING HER MULTIRACIAL CHILDREN TO HONOR THEIR BLACK HERITAGE AND THE ADVICE SHE HAS FOR OT