The statue of Frederick Douglass at the corner of Tracy and Alexander Streets is missing again — but for good reason.
The statue that was vandalized in December and recently replaced was removed by the city this week and placed into storage to protect it from a nearby construction project, said Chris Christopher, who managed the bicentennial project that celebrated Douglass' life and legacy in Rochester.
After the original was ripped from its foundation and irreparably destroyed in December, the two former St. John Fisher College students arrested for the crime went through a restorative justice process offered to them through the Monroe County District Attorney's office.
John R. Boedicker, of Endicott, Broome County, and Charles J. Milks, of Kenmore, Erie County, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief misdemeanor charges in court in February, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley said.
They were 20 and 21 years old, respectively, when the vandalism occurred in December. St. John Fisher spokeswoman Kate Torok confirmed in an email that both Milks and Boedicker are no longer enrolled at the college "at this time."
A major part of that agreement is that they each must pay a $5,000 fine before their May 2 sentencing date, Doorley said. If all of the tasks required by the agreement have not been completed by that day, they could face prison time.
Other parts of their restorative justice agreement included:
- Take a tour of all 13 Frederick Douglass statues in Rochester
- Purchase and read Frederick Douglass' autobiography and write an essay on it
- Meet with Olivia Kim, the artist who created the statues and learn about her process
- Boedicker and Milks also had the opportunity to participate in a voluntary phone call with Frederick Douglass' great, great, great-grandson, Kenneth B. Morris Jr.
The vandalism served as a prime opportunity to execute a restorative justice circle, but is an opportunity not presented equally to everyone who commits first-time, non-violent crimes like destruction of property, said Carvin Eison, the project director of Re-Energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass.
"It's very important to recognize the criminal justice system is not equal," Eison said. "These boys — these two men — were treated differently in the criminal justice system than if they were not white. This is clear. This is not anecdotal. This is real."
Eison said the destruction of a memorial for Frederick Douglass perforated the Rochester community in a painful way. Speaking about the vandalism months later, the disappointment and emotion is audible in his voice.
"It has been extremely, extremely painful and it has created some anxiety where anxiety didn’t need to be," Eison said. "I think that if anything, these two young men realized that they ruptured a very significant aspect of this community. I hope that they have learned their lesson."
Boedicker and Milks were not charged with a hate crime, a decision Doorley said rests on their ignorance about Douglass rather than a malicious racist intent.
"Everyone wanted to get to the point: 'Why did you do it?'" Doorley said. "They were drinking and at that moment in their lives, it seemed like a good idea. ... And for a drunken night and a stupid decision, they’ve basically sacrificed their careers."
Doorley said she fully intends to uphold her commitment to pursuing restorative justice when applicable, particularly with non-violent, first-time offenses. She also said she's invited Eison to speak with all of the attorneys in her office about identifying and working to address racism and bias in the community.
"My pledge to him during the restorative justice circle was, going forward, I would make sure that this was offered to anyone who comes through the criminal justice system," Doorley said. "It was really worthwhile. We had victim and offender in the same room where they could actually talk to each other and understand why and get a reason."
Though the damage to the statue rocked the Rochester community, Eison said that intense, visceral reaction from the public is a positive sign of the effect Douglass still has on this city. And with 13 total statues located around the city and events like the Memorial Art Gallery's Lessons of The Hour—Frederick Douglass exhibit, there's plenty of opportunities for folks who might not know all that much about him to engage with his legacy, he said.
"This was a teachable moment. It doesn’t negate the fact that we were angry — we were angry. We're still angry," Eison said. "And though we went through this very painful process ... Frederick Douglass is alive in Rochester right now."
GSILVAROLE@Gannett.com
Read more: St. John Fisher students tied to Frederick Douglass statue vandalism
Read more: What we know now about vandalism of Frederick Douglass statue
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/04/11/frederick-douglass-statue-vandalism-rochester-ny-john-boedicker-charles-milks/3350658002/
2019-04-11 14:15:00Z
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