On Friday evening, the steps of the Linn County Courthouse were full.Â
People spilled over the lawn and across the street. They came from all corners of Albany, representing different races and socioeconomic classes, but one word came in unison, shouted over the springtime dusk: Nehemiah.Â
The crowd yelled the name four times at the direction of Corvallis/Albany NAACP President Jason Dorsette, who led the gathering on Friday to support 13-year-old Nehemiah Miller, who was attacked in early April.
According to the Albany Police Department, the incident occurred at Swanson Park and began with hate speech directed at Miller and escalated when the youth stood up against the taunts.