Rochester's NAACP branch to host 'Not in Our Town' event following racial slur left on bridge

Jordan Shearer, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Apr. 16—ROCHESTER — The NAACP of Rochester has announced plans to host an event dubbed "Not In Our Town" in response to the

recent racial slur that was left on the bridge spanning East Circle Drive.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, on the east side of the bridge where the message was left. However, that event is just one of several that are being planned.

"This reprehensible act not only undermines the values of our community but also sends a disturbing message to our youth who should feel safe and respected," the organization said in a press release.

Earlier that same day, at 9 a.m. on April 20, groups will be gathering at the bridge "will work on creating messages of love and unity on the bridge. volunteers are encouraged to sign up on the Rochester branch of the NAACP's website.

Although the details are still to come, the NAACP is also planning to host townhall focused on student voices during the week of April 22. The press release said the event will include students, leaders of the Rochester branch of the NAACP and "select members of Rochester Branch NAACP's Youth Council that is being re-established."

Lastly, the NAACP announced it will host "a larger community townhall that will include elected leaders, community leaders, law enforcement and families" during the week of April 29.

Rochester Public Schools also has announced an event in response to the message on the bridge. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, the school district, along with the NAACP and Barbershop Talk of South Minnesota, will host a community forum at Century High School. Panelists will include NAACP President Wale Elegbede, RPS Superintendent Kent Pekel, Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, Mayor Kim Norton, RPD Capt. Jeff Stilwell, Rev. Gabe Green and Stephanie Whitehorn. The event is free and open to the public.

The NAACP's campaign is reminiscent of another campaign in Rochester that ran under the same name. In 1997, the campaign "Not in Our Town" started in response to "a series of violent interracial incidents between young white residents and Somali refugees," according to Post Bulletin coverage at the time.

Then in 2008, then-Mayor Ardell Brede suggested reviving the campaign to address another period of violence in Rochester.