Following Vandalism Acts Against BLM Banner, an Open Letter from Chappaqua Friends Meeting
An Open Letter to our Westchester Community:
In June, members and attendees of the Chappaqua Friends Meeting placed a Black Lives Matter banner at the front of our meeting house. A young meeting member designed the sign and we have been proud to display it on our driveway at 420 Quaker Road in Chappaqua, to show that we are allies of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Collectively and individually, we were horrified by the brutal murder of George Floyd at the end of May and recognize that the tragic incident was one mark in the long history of deeply entrenched racism, oppression, and discrimination of Black people, and more broadly, people of color, in the United States. We stand with those protesting. As members of a spiritual community with a long history of peaceful activism and non-violence, deriving from our belief in the inner light in each individual, we as “Quakers,” have adopted goals for ourselves this year centered on this movement. These include advocating for police reform, prison reform, and restorative justice, as well as increasing and improving the discussion of these topics in our communities.
At the end of July, we at the Chappaqua Friends Meeting, learned that an anonymous individual or group had vandalized the Black Lives Matter banner. The word BLACK had been painted over so the sign read just “Lives Matter.” Unfortunately, similar acts of racist vandalism are happening around the country and it came as no surprise that it has hit home here. The young meeting member who created the sign acted quickly and, with help, within a few hours, our meeting had removed, repainted and rehung the sign. Then, just this week, after we had repainted the sign, it was vandalized again. We have again repainted it and proudly displayed it once more.
This act of vandalism has only strengthened our resolve to support the Black Lives Matter movement. We are saddened and angry that an anonymous individual vandalized our message of support for this important social justice movement. We are particularly troubled by the anonymous desecration, as we believe that social change and any movement toward a more just and equal society requires an open dialogue, in the light of transparency and open debate. At the same time, we are heartened and pleased to have heard from so many in our Chappaqua community who have spoken out in support of our banner’s message, and in outrage at its defacing. The incidents and the disgust over the acts have spread on social media.
The vandalism on our property has particular significance, as our Meeting House has a proud and rich history and stands as a landmark on the African American Heritage Trail in Westchester because of the opposition to slavery expressed by Quakers as early as the 1750s, when the Meeting House was constructed. By challenging the morality of slavery, Friends served in part as a catalyst to the abolition of slavery in post-Revolutionary War New York. At the same time, we know the vestiges of slavery and oppression continue to the present. We strive to stand as allies for those who have faced deep oppression and discrimination.
1 Accordingly, we invite all to please continue in this dialogue. We seek to connect with those who have faced such oppression and discrimination and reach out, in particular, to Black people, and more broadly, people of color. We also invite the individual or individuals who marked our sign to explain their reasons. Why did you feel this was necessary? We also invite anyone in our broader Westchester community to respond, either by email or by comment, and hope to continue this discussion in the spirit of compassion, truth, and openness.
We thank you for reading and hope to hear from you on this important issue.
Respectfully yours,
Members and Attendees of Chappaqua Friends Meeting, Religious Society of Friends
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