Richards wrong to resort to race

Borough President Donovan Richards cannot read the minds of his constituents or see into their hearts, but he sometimes acts as if he can. And the result coarsens the debate.

Amid all the uproar over concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, and the noise and other quality-of-life problems they create for the people who live in the immediate area, Richards last week said, without evidence, that racism is the reason people oppose the shows.

Many people in Forest Hills, and especially in Forest Hills Gardens, where the stadium is located, have been opposed to the concerts since they started up again in 2013. And many more people have become opposed since the number of shows increased greatly the last few years. Last year more than 30 were held.

But Richards seems to believe the real reason people object to the concerts is racism. Facing criticism on the social media platform X over his handling of the concert controversy, Richards posted, “Just mad black people are in your community for concerts.” Referencing a hip-hop show, he continued, “After Rock The Bells is when you got hyper!!! We are here to stay.”

And he told the publication Gothamist that it was “very apparent” to him that not everyone appreciates Queens’ diversity.

...Racism is not the issue here. As one resident posted, shows featuring electronic dance music or “white frat boy bands” draw more complaints than rap concerts do. The issue is the noise from the concerts, the number of concerts, the trash left behind on Gardens streets and the fact the shows run later than the agreed-upon time.

Read the article here.