Here’s a little background info:
There’s a new docuseries on HBO re: the Charles Stuart Case that took place in 1989 in Boston – Murder in Boston -Roots, Rampage & Reckoning.
On October 23, 1989, Charles Stuart places a frantic 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife — a white couple — have been shot by a Black man. The ensuing investigation ignites decades-old tensions and brutal racial profiling amidst a media firestorm and skepticism about Stuart’s story. The three-part docuseries Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning chronicles the complex history of race-based hostilities in the city and how the rush to justice brutalized a community.
Due to this docuseries, Mayor Wu Announced on Tuesday, that a press conference to publicly acknowledge the harm caused by the City of Boston to the Black community and formally issue an apology to Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett for their wrongful arrests following the death of Carol Stuart.
See Media Advisory below:
BOSTON – Tuesday, December 19, 2023 – Tomorrow, Mayor Wu will host a press conference to publicly acknowledge the harms caused by the City of Boston to the Black community and formally issue an apology to Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett for their wrongful arrests following the death of Carol Stuart.
Months after her death in 1989, it was revealed that her husband Charles Stuart had orchestrated her murder and wrongfully accused a Black man of the crime. His accusation resulted in the racist harassment of Black men, in particular those living in the Mission Hill neighborhood, by City officials and the Boston Police Department.
This dark time in the City’s history exacerbated distrust between Boston’s Black community and the Boston Police Department. Acknowledging this painful moment and apologizing for the City’s wrongdoing is an effort to aid in the healing of those still living with this trauma and our City as a whole.
Note: The press conference will be streamed live on boston.gov
WHEN:
10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, December 20th, 2023
WHERE:
Boston City Hall, 5th Floor Eagle Room
WHO:
Mayor Michelle Wu
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox
Alan Swanson
Family of Willie Bennett
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Has Mayor Wu outlined specific reasons for the apology, and are there any proposed measures to address the past actions? Greeting : Telkom University
Mayor Wu is to be sincerely recognized for this step forward that the city of Boston will formally apologize to Mr. Bennett. Might it be possible that the City of Boston will voluntarily begin compensation by being the first to contribute to a GoFundMe page for Mr. William Bennett and perhaps a college scholarship fund for the descendants of his family?
Thank you.