Black Texas family says cars set on fire, house vandalized with Trump sign
'Had that (BLM) sign not been in my yard, I don't think this would have ever been an incident for us.'
A Black family in Texas had their home vandalized with Trump 2020 spray-painted on the garage door.
The Gipson family proudly displayed a Black Lives Matter sign outside their house in Little Elm during Thanksgiving week, and the move clealry got under the skin of a supporter of President Donald Trump.
Read More: Black man, 22, shot dead by police in Texas
Homeowner Jayla Gipson is convinced the vandalism over her family’s BLM support was “definitely a hate crime,” she told NBC News.
In addition to her garage getting defaced, two of her packed cars were smashed and set ablaze.
“‘Trump 2020’ was sprayed on our garage, our ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign was spray painted, and our cars were engulfed in flames,” she said.
Both her children, a 21-year-old son who first noticed the flames outisde, and a 12-year-old daughter who was sleeping, were inside the house at the time of the attack.
“If he hadn’t done that, my house might be burned down,” Gipson said of her son’s quick response to the fire.
“My daughter’s bedroom is towards the front of the house, so this could have been really bad,” she added.
Gipson, and her domestic partner, Charles Crawford, had their 2020 Nissan Optima and 2020 Kia Forte set on fire, according to the report. The couple have been living in their home since 2017 and never before experienced a hostile situation like this.
“It’s horrible. Had that sign not been in my yard, I don’t think this would have ever been an incident for us,” Gipson said.
Read More: Texas refused benefits for prison employee who died from virus, family reveals
While it is not confirmed by authorities who vandalized the residence, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family bounce back during the pandemic.
“I am so saddened about the racist activity that was done at my home last night. My car’s were set on fire and my garage spray painted with Racist/ political slur,” the GoFundMe description reads. “If anyone can help me find out who would do this in such a peaceful area I would greatly appreciate it. God bless.”
As of reporting, the family has raised more than $13,000 out of its $50,000 goal.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
