by Juliana Kaplan

During today’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at the Coolidge Corner Theater, titled “Keeping the Promise: Post-Racial America?”, Leslie K. Epps, owner of Finesse Florist, unexpectedly interrupted the ceremony to deliver an address about race in Brookline.

After keynote speaker and former member of the House of Representatives Barney Frank left the stage, the high school’s all-male a capella group, the Testostatones, was called up to perform. As the performers assembled, a group of protesters came in front of them and unfurled a “Black Lives Matter” banner. Epps then approached the empty podium and took the microphone.

“Part of it was surprising. They [the organizers] were told they were going to do something, but they didn’t know it was going to go to that extent. I mean, it [the protest] was new,” senior and Testostatones member Dawaun Hardy said in reference to the event planning. “You know, I did this last year and it wasn’t that crazy. In terms of everything that’s been going on lately, not just in Brookline, but around the world, it’s been crazy. So you know you’re going to see stuff like that all over the place. You just have to deal with it.”

Epps introduced herself as the only African-American female business owner in Brookline; she previously worked as a nurse in the Brookline schools for ten years.

“I would like to say the dream is alive. I just wish the dream would not be in black and white,” Epps said. “I wish the American dream would be in color. And I’m asking all of you who know that racism is alive and well please stand up. All of you who know racism is alive and well please stand up.”

Epps directed her remarks at Chair of Brookline’s Board of Selectmen Ken Goldstein, who has recently been criticized for his handling of the Gerald Alston case and its follow-up.

“The chairman of the board of selectmen Ken Goldstein, who is right there (points), are the issues in Brookline, but he’s only one man,” Epps said. “He is only one man and he can’t do it by himself. He is only one man who cannot do it by himself. He is only one man who cannot do it by himself to make change. We need everybody here.”

Epps detailed the voicemail that Captain Paul R. Pender left for Alston after an incident on the job, spelling out the racial slur allegedly directed at Alston. Alston filed a lawsuit last year and has asked that the selectmen launch an investigation into the incident, according to the Boston Globe.

“This man served 10 years and literally broke his back in the line of duty, literally broke his back. He got calls from colleagues wishing him well, but he got one special call from a supervisor,” Epps said.

Goldstein delivered the opening remarks for the ceremony, addressing the issue of race nationwide. Several members of the audience called out during his speech asking about the status of Brookline; Goldstein said during his speech it was not the correct forum for those remarks. He echoed this sentiment after Epps spoke.

“I think it’s regrettable that people decided to disturb the importance of this event with basically very focused complaints. There is a forum for all that and this wasn’t it,” Goldstein said.

Epps began an impromptu performance of Amazing Grace, inviting the Testostatones to harmonize with her. Two police officers on the premises came up to the stage, one remaining below while Lieutenant Philip Harrington took the microphone from her and placed it back on the podium.

“I’m sorry it happened, and that’s about it,” Harrington said.

As Epps exited the stage, she asked the officers not to touch her, indicating her alarm at their guns. Keynote speaker Frank and several others followed her down the aisle.

“I don’t know the specifics. I think the town officials handled it well. I don’t think it helps the cause to do that, but I think the town officials handled it well and I was impressed with the Brookline Police. I think they handled it very reasonably,” Frank said.

Some applauded as Epps walked away; others called out “give Gerald Alston back his job!” Several others from around the venue left when Epps did.

The Testostatones then performed “This Little Light of Mine,” by Harry Dixon Loes and “Where is the Love?” by the Black Eyed Peas. A previously scheduled portion of the program, the reading of quotes from Barbara Jordan and Martin Luther King, Jr. was skipped; master of ceremonies and Interim Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations Lloyd Gellineau immediately launched into the closing remarks.

History teacher Malcolm Cawthorne helped plan the ceremony; he was one of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee Members.

“We live in a country where having the right to protest is paramount. We are founded on that. It’s a very important fact of why people choose to live here. The Civil Rights Movement was great in that many things were planned in stages, sometimes shock value is really important, sometimes it actually brings attention to issues. Only history will tell if that’s what happened here today,” Cawthorne said. “And, as a teacher, I’m glad that my students, who I worked hard to get here to perform, stayed with composure and performed fabulously after something that could’ve easily rattled them. I don’t think many of those students had seen anything like that before and so I was very proud of them.”

Juliana Kaplan can be contacted at [email protected]