A utility box depicting Black Lives Matter imagery created by Kingston’s YMCA Farm Project was defaced on Sunday, January 31. It was the fourth time the box has been vandalized since it was installed last summer and the second time so far this year. The YMCA Farm Project said it was defaced the same day it was repainted.
A few days later, it was repainted once again.
The YMCA Farm Project originally created the mural, with permission from the city, amidst a backdrop of regular protests for racial justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd. It was painted by “high school students who have a passion for their community and their beliefs,” said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble in a statement about the vandalism.
The project included several utility boxes through the city. The one that continues to be vandalized is near the intersection of Schwenk Drive and Fair Street extension. On the box there is a raised fist with the text “Say Their Names” surrounded by the names of African-Americans who have died in encounters with police or for reasons many consider to be a result of their race.
“We had a campaign going where we painted utility boxes around Kingston that were blank,” said YMCA Farm Project’s Social Justice Educator Jessica Alonso. “We really began our involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer and we started reading different [racial justice] books. We wanted to make the utility box a tribute to all the people who were victims of racial violence or police brutality.”
Alonso said the utility box was meant to bring the community together, uplift one another and spread positivity.
“The fact it got vandalized shows the hate, or the ignorance, in whoever did this,” said Alonso.
The box has been vandalized four times – shortly after it was painted, in November and now twice in the new year.
“I feel like at this point it’s almost a joke to whoever is doing it,” said Alonso. “I’m wondering, is it a joke or are you really just that spiteful? These are humans. These were living, breathing humans. We’re just honoring them. I don’t see how someone could be so turned off by that.”
The mayor said the city is taking the incident seriously.
“Vandalizing in our community will not stand,” said Noble. “The defacement is clearly a hateful act, and will be handled accordingly.”
Noble continued, “the bigger issue the community needs to address is why someone or ones have so much fear and hate in their hearts that they are challenged by honoring the dead and having equality in our community.”
He said that detectives from the Kingston Police Department are actively working on the case and if anyone has seen anything on Sunday, January 31 between 3 and 10 p.m. to call the police department at 845-331-1671.
“I don’t know where it’s going to go, but it’s nice to have some support from the city and they are in solidarity with what we are trying to do with the utility box,” said Alonso.
Alonso said at this time there have not been any leads on who vandalized the box. The YMCA Farm Project debated putting up a camera at the location but decided that would contribute to community surveillance.
“I just want to have a conversation with whoever is doing this,” said Alonso. “I want to know the reason. I wouldn’t want anyone to get in trouble or anything. It’s just frustrating an anonymous person is doing this over and over.”
The YMCA Farm Project is an urban, educational farm that teaches youth about community food production, increased food access and other food issues.
“All social justice issues are intersecting,” said Alonso. “Although the farm project was initially focused on building food security in midtown Kingston, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be involved with other social justice issues such as racial justice within our community. To say we should only focus on that one thing doesn’t make sense. They’re all related…More than anything we want to build community.”
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