O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
I spent this weekend on Lake Winnipesaukee, recalling the beautiful greenery and fresh water that convinced this Colorado mountain girl to relocate to the Granite State. As I took a breath of the cool relaxing air it was a relief from the heat, physically and emotionally. I was not only escaping to the lake to find solace from the heat, but from something much more insidious: hate.
One of the many things I love about New Hampshire is the local businesses. Growing up around small mountain towns in my childhood, I learned the value of community. We all knew each other. You could feel safe in your town. You could feel supported by your town. When one of our members was going through troubles we all rallied and supported them.
To me, one of the attractions of New Hampshire was the opportunity to support local businesses and communities. I like to believe here in New Hampshire you can choose your own adventure as we have many opportunities. However what happens when your adventure is being threatened; will your neighbors and community support and rally behind you? What if it is your neighbors are causing chaos? What if hate is literally knocking at your door? Then what?
Miriam Kovacs and Dresden Lewis are two small women-owned business owners who are moving through that exact question, as they have had their livelihoods and even lives threatened.
Lewis grew up in Texas, and became a pastry chef in New Mexico. She wanted to move somewhere earthy that wasn’t overpopulated and safe, so she chose New Hampshire. In New Hampshire she continued working as a pastry chef and consultant. With support from family, she opened her homestead bakery in 2020, Nommmunism.
After 18 months, her bakery became booming and she was not only able to make a profit but give back to a cause important to her; reproductive rights. The outpouring of support she received among young Granite Staters was amazing.
“Being able give each month to charity, make donations to fundraisers, and community events, give to organizations that support diversity, body autonomy, and LQBTQ community, through pastries was a dream come true,” says Lewis.
Nommmunism is a play on the words nom and community. Lewis describes it as “ deliciousness for everyone. Vegan pastries that are baked with love.”
That same love of community inspired Lewis to take action after she heard that a group of neo-Nazis, men clad in khaki with their faces covered, were recently seen holding a banner reading “Keep New England White” outside the Kittery Trading Post.
According to an article posted in Seacoast online, the neo-Nazi group has been distributing recruitment flyers in Portsmouth and other New England towns and cities, including Manchester. The Anti-Defamation League says the group “espouses racism, antisemitism and intolerance” online and through graffiti and other propaganda.
Lewis felt compelled to reclaim her community’s space in order to remind her neighbors and friends that the New Hampshire she chose to lay roots in has no room for hate.
She invited about five friends to join her in holding signs of love and inclusion in a peaceful counter-protest on Saturday July 23. Lewis states she was not acting as an official organizer, just a concerned community member.
The next day she woke up to hundreds of messages. Hundreds in support of joining her in the counter-protest and others prompting her to kill herself for being a horrible person. In the days that followed, more death threats poured in coming via phone, email, and Instagram. Lewis wanted to show that love exists in the community and she was met with hate.
Chef Miriam Kovacs of the Broken Spoon in Franklin experienced similar backlash after the Concord Monitor put her on the front page as an “Asian Jewish Woman” living in Franklin.
Kovacs experienced “doxxing,” a form of cyberbullying that includes harassment, threats of harm, and exploitation of business. The cyberbullies were purposely giving her restaurant Broken Spoon, 1-star reviews in an attempt to discredit and ruin her business. The Hopknot in Manchester recently experienced this form of doxxing as well.
New Hampshire prides itself on supporting small businesses and here are two small business owners who were told by one local media outlet that “attention had shifted elsewhere.” When reaching out to the media and politicians about the recent events both women experienced silence. Kovacs was told that online harassment cannot be written about unless it results in charges or lawsuits. Both women have feared for not only their business but their safety.
In the meantime, hundreds of New Hampshire residents have rallied around the women, as the list of targets for these doxxing attacks has grown. The sidewalks of Kovacs’ business have been lined with messages of inclusivity, rainbow flags, and friendly smiles. The overall consensus is that “Hate has no home in New Hampshire.”
“Find the time to get to know businesses around you,” encourages Lewis. “During the height of the pandemic neighbors were sharings and supporting.” Kovacs believes in “kindness and creating a community where hate has no place to exist.” “The best way to improve a community is to start at the table,” adds Lewis. “Get to know your neighbors and create connections.”
Creating and cultivating community is one of the many reasons I chose to lay roots in New Hampshire. I feel a part of something bigger. We are a small state so we are more connected than we might realize. Connections create space for creation and collaboration, all important elements of community.
New Hampshire is our home. Three very different women from other states who choose New Hampshire as it truly is a great place to live. That doesn’t mean the Granite State doesn’t have our problems. We’ve got work to do in New Hampshire and the time is now. Our future depends on it.
History proves a valuable tool of learning, if we choose it to be. I chose to be on the side of history that is known for love, support, advocacy for change, a willingness to have the hard conversations for a better future. That’s the side I’m choosing. Those are the roots I’m laying in the 603, and I hope you are too.
How to help support Nommmunism
Lewis has requested that those who are willing and able to help make donations to these local organizations. They are all at the forefront of community change in the Granite State, and donations will directly impact the community. Here are a few she suggests:
- BLM Seacoast
- Seacoast Community Fridge
- NHMARF
- The Lovering Center
- NH Panthers
You can follow her on Instagram
How to help support Broken Spoon
Kovacs has requested those wanting to show support reach out to their local and state elected leaders. She also encourages young people to get involved in advocacy and run for local offices.
You can follow her on Instagram
Stay Work Play strongly condemns the recent threats to local young entrepreneurs. Businesses and owners that support New Hampshire’s underrepresented communities, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women have been under attack.
If we are all to succeed in making New Hampshire a place that attracts and retains young people, we must do everything we can – including calling out hate when we see it – to make New Hampshire a welcoming and inclusive place for all.
