From: Tom Harmon, Tracy Souza, Rev. Felipe Martinez, Lori Thompson, Jarvis Cooper, Laura Leonard, Matt Kirr, Kelly Benjamin, John Burnett, Alice Johnson, Mark Stewart, Brad Davis, Tom Vujovich, Johnnie Edwards, Kyle Hendricks
Columbus
A few weeks ago, during the dark of night, several downtown buildings suffered spray-painted logos representing groups known for their racist views. Since then, more of these logos have appeared on downtown buildings.
These cowardly acts of hatred, intolerance and false patriotism have no place in our community.
Despite these types of actions, there are some among us who don’t believe that racism even exists in our community. There are those within our community who believe that efforts to improve the lives of those who have been affected by inequality come at their own expense.
Our hope is that those responsible for placing unwanted racist logos on our buildings and those who deny the reality of racism experience a change of heart.
We are a better community than the one those promoting such racist views on our public property want us to be. That they do their work in the dead of night shows much about the value of their beliefs.
Should you encounter any public displays that support white supremacist organizations in Columbus, please take action. Contact the City of Columbus Human Rights Commission at 812-376-2532 to report these racially motivated acts.
Editor’s note: This letter was written by members of the Heritage Fund Racial Equity Committee.
