New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Hayes calls out ‘cancer of racism’ after Zoom bomb
NEWTOWN — When U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes heard the first racist Zoom bomber tell her to “shut up N-word” during a videoconference with voters Monday, her instinct was to smile, to remain calm and make sure everyone on the video conference was “OK.”
Hayes, the first Black congresswoman in Connecticut who is running for a second term, was determined to react with the same smiling, apologetic and accommodating spirit when three more racists hijacked the Zoom call with Newtown voters in what Hayes called “six minutes of vile disgusting … deplorable hate.”
And she did, as Hayes wrote in a personal essay about the event published Tuesday. During the call, Hayes assured Newtowners, “I will be fine,” and “this word has no power over me.”
But inside, Hayes says, she was not OK.
Her staff reported the incident to Zoom and
Hayes went on Twitter to post a screen shot of the chat function from the videoconference where someone wrote “SHUT UP Nword GO PICK YOUR COTTON,” repeated in all caps.
As several hundred people tweeted support and encouragement — including Zoom itself, which tweeted it was “deeply upset,” Hayes thought about what was expected of her as a Black woman and as a congressional leader.
Hayes thought of former first lady Michelle Obama’s example to take the high road, and the example of Hayes’ grandmother to shake her head and pray.
But then, Hayes says, she thought of “the 17-year-old who is met with the same racist, vitriol attacks and has to make the life-defining decision of how they will respond.”
And Hayes said “no.” “I am not OK that this happened,” Hayes wrote. “I am not OK, that this is not the first time this has happened in my life or that I’ve had to explain that this happens. I am not OK, that I have to post a screenshot to prove it happened. I am not OK that people will still doubt that it happened or the word of the forty or so participants on the call will be a necessary to “verify” the incident happened.”
Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo agrees.
“This horrific attack must be denounced by all,” DiNardo said on Tuesday. “It is beyond time for leadership that unites.”
Hayes’ GOP opponent also condemned the incident.
“It’s appalling that a bigoted coward would direct insults at Congresswoman Hayes, interfere and disrupt a legitimate campaign activity, and besmirch the reputation of the good people of the 5th District of Connecticut,” said David X. Sullivan on Tuesday. “I am grateful and encouraged that the management of Zoom is investigating this disgusting incident.”
The racist attack comes at the height of the campaign season in Connecticut’s most competitive congressional district. Hayes, a rising star in the Democratic Party, and Sullivan, a former prosecutor and adjunct professor from New Fairfield, already had two debates, and two more are planned this week.
One of the debates, hosted by the NAACP chapters of the 5th District, is planned Thursday. The president of the Greater Danbury NAACP condemned the racist attack and applauded Hayes for “unburdening herself.”
“When these (racist) things happen you can’t just say ‘Don’t get so angry — it’s only a few people who do this,’ because if everybody doesn’t call it out, then it continues to be an undercurrent in society,” said Glenda Armstrong. “What she did was to say ‘This is not my burden alone. This is society’s burden.’”
Newtown police, meanwhile, are investigating.
“We are disgusted by it just like everyone else,” Newtown police Chief
James Viadero said Tuesday. “We are looking into it.”
Hayes, the 2016 national Teacher of the Year, told Hearst Connecticut Media over the summer that she was the subject of discriminatory policing as a freshman Black congresswoman at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, where she and her staff reported for work.
On Tuesday, Hayes wrote that while the aftermath of Monday’s racist sabotage incident was likely to focus on Zoom security, it was important for her to put aside how she was supposed to react and express what she needed to share.
“The most painful part of it all is that no matter what you achieve, how many degrees you have, how good of a person you try to be — all some people will ever allow themselves to see is a N-word,” Hayes wrote. “Words matter and they cut deep, no matter how hard you try to suppress or ignore them — words hurt.”
In response, Hayes said, she will get back to work in congress, and continue on the campaign trail, with new resolve.
“The only way we can cut the cancer of racism out of our communities is by calling it out when we see it and raising our collective voices to get rid of it,” Hayes said.