Ronica Copes of the village Lindenhurst, New York got an unpleasant surprise in her mailbox last week and it wasn’t from some bill collector or The Maury Show.
The Black resident of the East New York community received an anonymous letter stating that her family’s presence wasn’t welcomed in the “84% white population.”
“Sooooo, I’m checking my mail and when I come across this I can’t help but laugh..wait, it’s not funny though,” an astonished Copes wrote on her Facebook page, Thursday, May 21. “Where they do that at? Oh yeah Lindenhurst. Unbelievable but then it’s not…our daily reality, I’ve just never seen it in this form.”
According to the New York Post, Copes 37, a freelance publicist and caterer, have been living in their residence since 2013 so it appears the racists just now mustered up enough courage to speak out.
The Town of Babylon, the hub for Lindenhurst, got wind of the letter and issued a statement denouncing its message.
The Town of Babylon was made aware that an anonymous letter was delivered to an African-American family in Lindenhurst that espoused racist hateful views. Elected Officials from the Town of Babylon and Village of Lindenhurst have issued the following statement.
“We strongly condemn this hateful letter and are working closely with the Suffolk County Police and our Anti-Bias Task Force to investigate this incident. The best way to fight bias is with solidarity and we stand with all of our residents in declaring that there is no place for this type of intolerance and hatred in the Village of Lindenhurst, the Town of Babylon, or anywhere in our community. We are, and always will be, a strong diverse community that does not cede ground to hostility, ignorance, or hatred, wherever it may appear.”
– Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer
– Lindenhurst Village Mayor Tom Brennan
– Babylon Deputy Supervisor and member of Babylon Anti-Bias Task Force, Tony Martinez
– Babylon Town Councilman Tom Donnelly
– Babylon Town Councilwoman Jackie Gordon
– Babylon Town Councilman Lindsay Henry
– Babylon Town Clerk Carol Quirk
– Babylon Town Receiver of Taxes Corinne DiSomma
– Lindenhurst Village Deputy Mayor Michael Lavorata
– Lindenhurst Village Trustee Joan Masterson
– Lindenhurst Village Trustee Darrel Kost
– Lindenhurst Village Trustee Maryann Wecerkle
The Suffolk County Police Department are also investigating the letter as a potential hate crime.
Hit the next page to read Ronica Copes’ racist letter in full. Also, check your calendar to make sure this is still 2015.
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Photos: Facebook/Ronica Copes
