“You don’t belong here”, Black family in Long Island receives hate mail from neighbors

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A Black family in Long Island is in a state of shock and disbelief after receiving an anonymous letter in the mail telling them to leave and they “don’t belong here” simply because they’re black.

Black Family in Long Island Receives Disturbing Letter

According to Lindenhurst resident Veronica Copes, she discovered the letter in her mailbox on Thursday with her address handwritten on it, and the sender noted as “community,” and didn’t think much of it at the time.

I didn’t think anything negative,” she explained. “I thought, okay, maybe something happened in the community and they wanted to keep all of the residents, you know, abreast of what’s going on. And then when I opened it and saw ‘Attention African American family’ I’m like, hunh?”

The typewritten letter, in all-caps, read: “Attn: African American family. This is coming for the Lindenhurst Community. Lindenhurst is 84% white population. You don’t belong here!!! Please leave Lindenhurst as soon as you can. It will be better for all of us.”

The evenly-spaced letter went on to say: “Find the town where there are more people like you,” before ending on a conciliatory note, “Sorry if this is rude, but it’s the truth.”

“I had to kind of read it more than once for it to set in,” Copes said. “I was very disappointed, frustrated, angry. Afraid, because I don’t know who it’s coming from.”

The Copes family has lived in their home for two years and this is the first time they have experienced such overt racism.

Copes posted the letter on her Facebook page which came to the attention of county executive Steven Bellone, who issued a statement on Friday.

“To the coward who committed a hate crime against an innocent family in Lindenhurst — There is no place for intolerance in Suffolk County. I know the Suffolk County Police Department will do everything possible to solve this hate crime, out you and see you punished. I stand together with all Lindenhurst residents who decry this act of hatred. This community and all of Suffolk County are better than that.”

Suffolk County Police’s hate crimes unit is now investigating the letter.