November 27, 2023
Alaska Black Caucus employees discovered racist slurs spray painted on the side of their building located in downtown Anchorage.
Alaska Black Caucus employees discovered racist slurs spray painted on the side of their building located in downtown Anchorage on Nov. 24. According to Alaska’s News Source, the spray-painted slurs brought back unpleasant memories for Brenda Tyler, who told the outlet, “I’m from the South… you’re bringing back some of my past experiences.”
The organization has been the victim of similar attacks, each time reporting them to the Anchorage Police Department. The Black Caucus said it has no intention of moving or being bullied. Furthermore, Rev. Patricia Wilson-Cone denounced the spray painting, telling the outlet, “This is not a message to our young people today. This is not a message to the world today. This is not a message to anybody, regardless of your race, your faith, or what you subscribe to in making it a better world,” Rev. Wilson-Cone said.
“This is not a positive light and a positive message, and we have zero tolerance for it.”
According to its website, the Alaska Black Caucus is “the premier non-partisan organization asserting the Constitutional Rights of African Americans in Alaska.” The building it is in now, the Equity Center, was purchased by the organization in 2021 through money received from the American Rescue Plan Act and contributions from private donations.
“The Equity Center will serve Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Alaskans in Anchorage through a commercial kitchen, gathering space, below-market-rate office spaces, co-working, partner leased space, and associated programming,” the website states.
Alaska Black Caucus President Celeste Hodge Growden described her vision for the center on its website: “It is a permanent home for us where we can freely breathe. It is a place to figure out how we can change conditions for BIPOC communities. It is a place where we will engage with each other and with community leaders and gatekeepers; where there are many seats around the table to build trust and relationships and back them up with advocacy and action.”
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