An interracial couple in an affluent North Carolina community was targeted with a racist unsigned letter asking the pair in a most disgusting way not to post Black Lives Matter signs, according to WRAL News. "[P]lease remember that the rest of us live in an upscale neighborhood and have spent the extra money to stay out of mixed neighborhoods and/or the ghetto," the anonymous penner stated. "No one wants trouble or any circumstance arising which could turn our neighborhood into a 'semi-ghetto.'"
The writer, who apparently lives in the same Wakefield Estates neighborhood as the couple, went on to claim that "no one is interested in your or their 'struggles.' Keep matters inside your own house and do your best to keep this area upscale and free of that element," the writer said. "Most of us would not hesitate to call the police if your kids or husband get unruly, so please be considerate of everyone else living amongst you."
Instead of letting the bigoted writer hide in silence, the targeted couple made sure their neighbors received copies of the letter with a note, WRAL News reported. "If you did not write this letter, we wanted you to be aware of what has happened in our neighborhood," the family said in the note. "If you are the person that wrote this letter, we will not be intimidated by your cowardly act and ignorance. We are happy to have a discussion regarding love, respect and racism if you have the courage."
The family later said in a statement to WRAL News that it was shocked. "We want to acknowledge that this letter does not compare to some of the more dire circumstances many people find themselves in on a regular basis due to bigotry. However, it was shocking and ignorant,” the family said. “The outrage, support and kind words expressed to us by so many in our community have overpowered the hate expressed from the one person who wrote the letter. Our hope is for this to inspire respectful conversations and courageous self-examination about bias and racism. To the person who wrote the letter, we pray for your heart to be released from bitterness and filled with understanding and compassion for others. Black lives do matter."