Report: White child put strap on Black child’s neck at camp

By MARK PRATT
Associated Press

A civil rights group is calling for reform at a Massachusetts children’s summer camp on the affluent vacation resort of Martha’s Vineyard where a white child placed a strap around the neck of a Black camper. The incident involving 8- and 9-year-old boys occurred late last month at the Chilmark Community Center. Lawyers for Civil Rights, which represents the family of the Black child, called the act reminiscent of lynching. The Chilmark Town Affairs Council in its internal report said there was no evidence of overt racial motivation, but an attorney for Lawyers for Civil Rights said the Black child was clearly targeted.