Graffiti targeted at mayoral candidate.
COLUMBIA -- When American’s first black president was elected, there were high hopes for race relations.
Despite that historic election, graffiti was written in red paint on the outside of Columbia City Hall overnight Wednesday. It said “no n-word mayor” and the word “die” – signs that discrimination still lingers in Columbia.
“It’s an unfortunate incident and it does not reflect our community,” said Mayor Bob Coble of Columbia.
But the racial slur spray painted on city hall does affect the region
“We have become one of the most undesirable destinations for many tourists, individuals, and families looking to relocate,” said J.T. McLawhorn of the Columbia Urban League.
McLawhorn says negative race relations in South Carolina can slow the state’s growth.
“We have a long way to go when it comes to race relations. We have to move out of our comfort zones and realize that this is still a problem plaguing us,” said McLawhorn.
Still, widespread hope remains that what happened on Wednesday is an isolated incident, and will be a call to action for people to improve race relations.
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