Vandals Deface Banner At Chappaqua Quaker Meeting House: Report

CHAPPAQUA, NY — A banner commemorating the Black Lives Matter movement at the Chappaqua Friends meeting house on Quaker Road in Chappaqua has been vandalized twice in the past week, the Examiner reported.

The members of the Chappaqua meeting published an open letter to the community on the Examiner.

"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," they said in the letter. "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."

They pointed out that their historic building is a landmark on the African American Heritage Trail in Westchester. The Quakers' opposition to slavery predates the 1750s, when the Meeting House was constructed.

Since the killing of George Floyd in May, as people and communities have expressed horror and vowed to work more vigorously for social justice, incidents of racist vandalism have risen nationwide, they said.

"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."

Recognizing "the long history of deeply entrenched racism, oppression, and discrimination of Black people, and more broadly, people of color, in the United States," they said they seek first to connect with people who have experienced discrimination and also invite the wider Westchester community to respond in an open discussion. They also asked the person or people who twice painted over the word "Black" to explain their reasons. "Why did you feel this was necessary?" they asked.

Read the full article here and read the open letter here.