Residents Express Outrage
By Josh Resnek
Councilor Anthony DiPierro’s seat appears to be hanging by a thread as several more racist, anti-Black messages sent from the councilor’s account and shared with others in city government have been revealed.
Included in one of the e-mail exchanges is Deanna Deveney, the mayor’s communications chief.
DiPierro’s racist messages sent from his Internet address, and discovered by the Leader Herald, have led to calls for his resignation.
A succession of angry speakers at the city council meeting Monday night expressed shock, horror and outrage at DiPierro’s use of the N-word and racist memes.
Former councilor Fred Capone expressed indignation.
“His actions are unforgiveable. The city council must act,” he said of DiPierro.
Crying and struggling to contain herself, resident Janice Lock called DiPierro’s use of the N-word and racist memes “insulting and hurtful.”
“You apologized but it didn’t mean anything,” she said.
Longtime resident Guerline Alcy, who re-signed from her city job after being passed over for 7 years for a higher paying position said DiPierro’s words hurt.
“Everyone stays mute on this council,” she complained.
Everett resident and schoolteacher Jessica Gold Boots delivered an impassioned speech to the council. She decried DiPierro using the N-word and expressed rage when she said: “White supremacy has no place in Everett.” She asked the city council: “How will all of you make it crystal clear that racist acts have no place here. Talking about racism is not what divides us. Not talking about it divides us,” she said.
Resident Darren Costa called DiPierro’s actions aberrant. He said he was enraged by DiPierro’s behavior.” You were more concerned about deflecting your actions than taking responsibility for them. You acknowledged your acceptance of white supremacy,” he added.
The revelation of yet another anti-Black meme sent by DiPierro to several city officials this week, has raised serious questions about the councilor’s apparent racist tendencies as well as that of Deveney.
In one meme shared with Deveney, she writes to him, ”What can I do for you my honey.”
DiPierro responded with a meme showing the cartoon character Peanuts standing with a young Black child.
“My N_gga,” is the wording underlining the meme in his answer.
The second new anti-Black series of DiPierro racist e-mails has DiPierro discussing with several colleagues an upcoming trip and what DiPierro will be taking with him.
“I’m taking Johnny blackie with me,” a colleague writes.
DipPierro responds, “My token N_gro.”
Many were left to wonder, how many more racist anti-Black messages shared and or sent by DiPierro are there?
After a great deal of soul searching and editorial discussion, the Leader Herald is publishing all the DiPierro memes and messages in a separate article. We warn our readers the content is disturbing.
The city’s chief equity officer Cathy Draine has yet to comment on the e-mails and memes, an astonishing failure to act in the face of overt racism on the part of Everett public officials.
The Leader Herald has reached out to her several times for comment.
“She has been muzzled by the mayor and or Deanna Deveney or both,” said a city government source who wished to remain unnamed.
DiPierro is often portrayed by his followers as the heir apparent to the mayor. The mayor is his cousin.
He was the mayor’s campaign chief.
The mayor has not responded to the Leader Herald for comment.
However, he has been quoted as saying he is asking for an investigation into DiPierro’s alleged racist writings and messages. DiPierro has not responded to the Leader Herald for comment.
He has been quoted saying that he had made a mistake and perhaps this could be a learning experience for him…and that he was sorry if he disappointed some people by his actions.
However, this was said before added racist communications attributed to him came to light this week.
Chief equity officer for the public schools Cory McCarthy has asked for DiPierro’s resignation.
“He should resign,” McCarthy told the Leader Herald Monday morning.
“He should resign immediately,” former councilor at large Gerly Adrien told the Leader Herald.
Councilor at Large Mike Marchese insisted Monday morning that the council must take up DiPierro’s apparently racist comments as a matter of what is right.
“We must call Councilor DiPierro to answer for these racist messages and memes,” Marchese insisted.
“To do anything less for the people of our city would be a crime.”