Someone in Redmond, Oregon used a weird tactic to send a racist message to the city’s representatives.
A dead raccoon and sign with “intimidating language” referencing Clifford Evelyn, a Black city council member and Mayor Ed Fitch, who is white, was left outside the mayor’s law office
. Fitch found the items himself and immediately called the police and city manager Keith Witcosky, CBS News reportedFitch told police the language used was “racially hateful,” and declined to share what the message said specifically. Evelyn is a retired law enforcement officer who was the city’s first ever Black councilor, elected in 2021. Fitch said he feels bad for him, OPB reported.
“It seems there’s some people in town that can’t accept the fact that Clifford is Black and is on the City Council,” Fitch said.
“It was clearly in my mind a hate message, mostly towards Councilor Evelyn.”
The Redmond Police Department are investigating the act as a potential hate crime and Evelyn said he has complete confidence in the department.
The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery in Michigan describes raccoon imagery as “one of the most insulting of all anti-black caricatures.”
Redmond has seen its fair share of racism in the past few years. A Black Redmond teenager found a threatening message on her doorstep in 2020 and Republican Deschutes County Commission candidate, Scott Stuart, who lost his race, was seen flying a Confederate flag at the city’s Fourth of July parade.
Evelyn said a resident mentioned slavery during a recent council meeting, even though the topic had nothing to do with the agenda item.
“The people in this part of the country are just gonna have to catch up,” Evelyn said.
“It’s just the knuckleheads that can’t get on track. And they’re causing harm to everyone and making us look bad.”
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