Racist imagery and symbols written over top a Black Lives Matter parking space at Utah school
Thomas McDonald
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Graffiti containing racist imagery and language was found over top of a parking space at a High School in Utah on Wednesday.
Vandals spray-painted out the word ‘Black’ from a parking spot dedicated to the movement and added a swastika and the year ‘1776’ to the entry of the spot. Between the swastika and ‘1776’, suspects wrote, in chalk, “#NOWHITEGUILT,” “#AMERICAFIRST (NICK FUENTES),” “#14WORDS,” “1488,” and “WE ARE EVERYWHERE.” Also drawn in chalk are a cross, a swastika, and a lightning bolt.
The graffiti is “not surprising or shocking to me,” said Mario Mathis, who belongs to a local Black Lives Matter chapter. “It’s not frightening to me, either. But it is unacceptable.”
“That’s four blocks from where I live, really, four or five blocks from where I live,” Mathis said.
“As clearly and explicitly as possible, the Logan City School District condemns both the use of racist language and imagery in any context and the harmful ideologies that promote their use,” the Logan City School District said in a statement.
The District posted a response to the vandalism on their Facebook page, saying, “With our community’s support, we will continue our efforts to provide a positive environment for all students in our schools so that each of them feels valued and safe. We will also continue to support our students and staff in their efforts to promote equity and inclusion, both in our schools and across our community as a whole. We thank you for your efforts in this area.”
During a Thursday press conference, Governor Spencer Cox called the vandalism “terrible” and “despicably racist.”
The school parking spot vandalism comes as the World Famous Yum Yum Food Truck in northern Utah was vandalized with anti-Asian slurs spray painted all over it.
“We are not going to have hatred stop us from sharing our culture. Thank you for all the people reaching out. We are just so hurt right now and don’t what to comment on anything. Please don’t be offended if we don’t answer any questions at this time,” the company posted to their Facebook page on June 6.