Bullies Target 7-Year-Old in Horrific Hate Crime – Little Did They Know 20 Bikers Would Show Up at Their School
The bikers had his back.
*Featured image contains photo by Romina Ordóñez
Jacquelyn Stimson couldn’t believe it when she walked out her front door and discovered that sometime during the night, while her family was sleeping, someone had etched a racial slur into the side of her car.
What made it even more unbelievably heartbreaking was that the hate was targeted at her then 7-year-old son, Eze, just because of the color of his skin.
Jacquelyn and Eze, who is biracial, live in a family-friendly neighborhood in the small town of Derry, New Hampshire. Things like this aren’t supposed to happen here.
“I don’t understand this thinking, at all. I didn’t know it still existed,” Jacquelyn told CBS News.
Family Targeted With Multiple Racist Messages
Three days after brutally vandalizing the car, the perpetrators believed to be bullies from Eze’s school, struck again.
This time, they wrote a racist and intimidating message on a wooden sawhorse and left it on the front lawn. The message contained a racial slur followed by the words “Go Home!” Then, less than a week later, Jacquelyn found her car covered in watermelon and fried chicken.
Derry Police Capt. Vern Thomas confirmed that all three incidents appeared to be racially motivated.
After the string of targeted attacks against the little boy, the mother and son’s neighbors had seen enough, including Steve Vachon. Horrified by the hate crimes and wanting to show Eze and his family love & support, Steve decided to fight the violence with an act of love.
Bikers Mount Up for Young Victim of Racism
A member of the Manchester Motorcycle Club, Steve rallied the troops. The club organized a rally and in an impressive display of solidarity, 20 bikers rode up to Eze’s school like the bosses they are and waited for him outside the gates.
Honking their horns and revving their engines, they were there to send a clear message: “You mess with Eze, you mess with us.” Most of all, they wanted Eze to know he wasn’t alone.
“We just want to share something with the kid, that he has people who care about him,” Steve said.
The bikers treated Eze to a ride-along, some ice cream, and a little lesson in motorcycles.
They also made him an honorary club member, outfitting him in his own helmet and a black leather motorcycle jacket.
“It means a lot because I’ve never been part of a big, giant club,” Eze said.
His mom agreed. “I think it means the world to him.”
“He knows the town supports him and no one hates him, and that he can walk with pride and he doesn’t have to be scared,” she added.
The Power of Community
Racism has no place in any civilized society. The pain and suffering that it inflicts on its victims are immeasurable and can last a lifetime.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. It is our responsibility to ensure that discrimination, prejudice, and hate crimes have no place in our communities.
This is something that the Manchester Motorcycle Club is clearly already on top of.
The biker community’s response to the hate crimes against the 7-year-old boy and his mother was admirable. Their love and support not only helped the family to heal but also showed that there is still hope for humanity.
It is heartening to know that in times of darkness, there are people out there who are willing to stand up for what is right and make a positive difference in the world.
