Note demands neighbor remove Black Lives Matter sign over ‘property values’ in Oregon
Fifteen-year-old Nandita Kumar painted a sign to support the Black Lives Matter movement and displayed it in a window in her Oregon home, media outlets report.
“Silence Supports Police Violence,” the sign said, as shown in a photo posted on Twitter.
But an anonymous neighbor was less than supportive of the sign, sending a note requesting Kumar remove it.
The letter writer said the sign was driving down property values on the street and also interest from potential buyers, according to the note posted on Twitter by a woman who says she is Kumar’s older sister.
“We have three homes on our street that are trying to sell for the best price possible,” the note said. “Your sign is driving down interest to live on this street, hence our property values suffer (including yours).”
The writer said Kumar had “made her point” and asked her to remove the sign.
“Homes are not meant to be build boards (sic) for our opinions. They are a place for families to rest, enjoy life and feel safe,” the note said.
Kumar originally painted the sign after the death of Geoge Floyd, KGW reported. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died in the custody of Minneapolis police on May 25. Four officers have been charged in his death.
Her parents were hesitant to let Kumar keep the sign up after the note arrived, according to the Oregonian.
“They were like, ‘No this is insane, you did absolutely nothing wrong,” Kumar said of her family and friends, KGW reported. “It’s your property and your First Amendment right and they shouldn’t be telling you what to do.”
The city of Lake Oswego, just south of Portland, responded to the viral post in a thread on Twitter, expressing solidarity with Kumar.
“The City of Lake Oswego is committed to making Lake Oswego a welcoming community for everyone,” the post reads. “We envision a place where every person feels safe and supported by each other. We respect our residents’ First Amendment rights for free expression, and we believe in constructive dialog that allows people to discuss their differences of opinion face-to-face. As a city, we value our BIPOC community members, and we stand for anti-racism.”
The city plans to host focus groups in late August and early September to hear about people’s experiences in Lake Oswego, the Oregonian reported.
“We understand the history of the community,” Martha Bennett, the city manager, told the Oregonian. “I can only say that we’re working our butts off to change the future.”
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 10:56 AM.