(NEW YORK, N.Y., 7/9/2020) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned racist graffiti on a bridge in the small village of Saranac Lake, N.Y. The incident has prompted Governor Andrew Cuomo to deploy the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate.
The racist, anti-Black graffiti included slurs, expletives, and read “Go Back to Africa.” Nicky Hylton-Patterson, who moved to Saranac Lake in 2019 to assume a position as head of the Adirondack Regional Diversity Program, is now moving to an undisclosed location due to the fear and intimidation this racist display provoked.
SEE: Racist graffiti prompts Adirondack diversity head to move
https://apnews.com/c904614c5eca05fcbdcb9d7a4ec4ca9d
In a statement condemning this abhorrent display of racism, CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said,
“In a village that recently hung banners in support of Black Lives Matter, this graffiti is clearly a reactionary, racially motivated and threatening response affecting all of Saranac Lake’s Black residents. CAIR-NY strongly supports Governor Cuomo’s call for the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate.”
CAIR-NY continues to combat hate wherever it exists.
SEE: CAIR-NY Condemns Racist Incident and 911 Call in Central Park
CAIR and the American Muslim community are standing in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism and white supremacy.
CAIR recently unveiled a Black Lives Matter banner containing the names of hundreds of victims of racist police violence, including George Floyd, on its Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Video: CAIR Marks Anniversary of George Floyd’s Killing with Unveiling of Black Lives Matter Banner
To report a hate crime or bias-incident/discrimination to CAIR-NY, fill out an incident report at www.cair-ny.org/incident-report.
CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Afaf Nasher, Esq. Executive Director, CAIR-NY, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com; Ahmed Mohamed, CAIR-NY Litigation Director, 646-481-2103, ahmedmohamed@cair.com