One interracial Cincinnati, Ohio couple got the worst homecoming welcome ever after leaving for a Thanksgiving vacation and returning to their house vandalized with swastikas, the N-word, and the words “white power.” It is one of many nationwide incidents of racism to happen post-election, as the Southern Poverty Law Center reported. As Pusha T said, “The racism in America—it’s no longer hidden.”
The couple, Pat and Joe Jude, wrote on a GoFundMe (more on that later) that their house had been broken into some time between when they left to spend Thanksgiving with their daughter and their return on Nov. 28. In addition to spray painting the N-word, “white power,” and swastikas, vandals poured cement down the house's pipes, using a plunger to push the cement further down. The Judes, married for 34 years, explained that the house was originally their daughter’s. The couple had planned to move into that house but now say they may never be able to because of this incident.
This wasn’t the Judes' first brush with racism, though it's been the worst by far. The couple toldThe Huffington Post the couple’s son, Jay, suffered bullying for being biracial when the family moved to Cincinnati in 2006. Jay took his life in 2010. “He was treated very racist as a bi-racial man by both students and even his teachers,” the Judes said. Jay was called the N-word and more by students and townspeople.
After creating a GoFundMe this past Friday to repair some of the damages to the house the couple has raised a little over $32,000, way over their original goal of $2,000.
“The outpouring of support is so amazing. After the death of our son my husband lost faith in humanity and now with this horrible senseless hate crime, it seemed hopeless. With the outpouring of love from our family, friends and strangers especially during this time of year, has helped us realize that the people who did this were in the minority and the majority of Americans are so kind and don't believe in hate and racial inequality,” the Judes wrote on GoFundMe.
For more photos of the damage and to learn more about the Judes and donate head here.
