Home in historically Black Lawnside hit by racist graffiti

A home in the historically Black community of Lawnside in Camden County was hit by racist graffiti shortly after the election, prompting condemnations as well as shows of community support for the woman who lives there.

Dawn Hines, 53, said she found out on Thursday from a neighbor that somebody spray-painted a racist phrase for Black people on her back fence, which can be seen from often-busy Evesham Road.

“We’ve never gotten anything like this before,” said Hines, who has lived in the house for 20 years and called the incident a hate crime.

Hines said the fence was unmarked during the day Wednesday, so the graffiti occurred sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Besides experiencing surprise and shock, she thought the timing was not a coincidence.

“It has something to do with the election,” Hines said, suggesting that someone was emboldened by Republican Donald Trump’s presidential victory.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a South Jersey Democrat whose district includes Lawnside, condemned the incident on social media: “Racism must be called out when we see it, especially when it happens in our own community. I’m glad the police are investigating this act of vandalism as a hate crime. Hate has no place here.”

The Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia also condemned the racist graffiti: “Vandalism like this is despicable and only seeks to intimidate. In the face of this incident, we applaud the people of Lawnside coming together to stand as neighbors. Thanks to police for treating this as the hate crime it is. We hope the perpetrators are held responsible.”

In a joint statement Tuesday, Commissioners Jonathan Young and Al Dyer, of the Camden County Board of Commissioners, called the racist graffiti a “shocking and disgusting display of hatred” and vowed that the perpetrators would be punished.

“Lawnside is a beautiful town with a deep connection to the African American community, as it was the first independent, self-governing African American municipality north of the Mason-Dixon Line,” the commissioners said. “And to see such a blatant attack on our Camden County community is frightening and appalling to say the least.”

Hines said the Lawnside Borough Police Department and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office have told her they are investigating the incident. Neither agency could be reached for comment Monday evening.

A work crew from borough removed the racist word and a vulgar sexual image, but the rest of the words, including hate and sorry not sorry, were left intact, Hines said. A friend then came out and spray-painted over the entire message.

Hines said the owner of a pressure wash company offered to further clean the fence and the owner of a fence company offered to replace it.

“Love is winning,” Hines said.

She already had a security camera with a view of her backyard, but not of the fence and the grassy field beyond stretching to Evesham Road.

Hines said she would add video surveillance to give her a complete picture of what is happening.