St. Louisan calls for anti-racist action after noose hanging from tree is discovered

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Julia Ho picked up her phone last Thursday in indignation when a contractor she hired called with alarming news: someone had hung a noose on a tree in the house she was renovating

Ho, an Asian American who has owned the Lemp Avenue home in the Benton Park neighborhood for almost five years, had been working with the black contractor for about a year to renovate the property.

Ho, who was out of town, was shocked that someone put a symbol of racism and violence in her yard.

My first reaction, my first emotion was really just anger for someone to do this, Ho said. It wasn’t some kind of amateur thing. It was clearly done by someone who knew how to do it and who knew exactly what message they were sending.

Ho said she and the contractor immediately filed a police report with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. A police spokesperson said officers were investigating.

Alderman Dan Guenther, of D-9th Ward, said he was furious at the incident and was working with law enforcement to locate the people who hung the noose.

The Neighborhood Stabilization Officer and I worked closely with our 3rd District Captain, detectives and the FBI to investigate this event as a hate crime, Guenther said in a statement. We will continue to search for area surveillance cameras, speak with neighbors and find witnesses who may lead us to identify those responsible for this heinous act.

The incident follows an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country. The Stop AAPI Hate coalition has recorded 9081 anti-Asian incidents since March 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 50 nooses have also reportedly been found at construction sites across the United States

This prompted Ho to take action. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, she and members of the community will gather outside the Venice Cafe in Benton Park to notify neighbors of the incident.

I want to know what people in my neighborhood think about it, and the best way to do that is to talk to them, Ho said. That being said, I don’t feel safe alone, it is very likely that whoever has actually this is in my immediate vicinity. So it’s not something I can do on my own and I really need the community to be there and support me.

Julia ho

A black contractor spotted a noose on August 5 tied to a tree in Julia Ho’s yard. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating.

Neighbors said they were shocked to learn of the incident.

I wouldn’t expect it, especially here, said Max Trumper, a white Lemp Avenue resident who has lived in the neighborhood for about a year. It seems like a pretty diverse neighborhood, I don’t think you would see things like that here.

Many said they had never witnessed racist acts in the region.

If I had had any issues or concerns, I would have been abandoned, said Kim Williams, a black woman who also lives on Lemp Avenue. Whatever is going on, I hope they solve it.

Guenther said the community and white allies of people of color must unite to speak out against racism.

This incident calls attention to the fact that as allies we must do more to live our lives in a way where everyone feels supported and welcomed, where those historically excluded could now feel the full strength of our defense. , Guenther said.

Ho said she had experienced a surge of support from people in the community. But she said that although she had never expected to see something so vile, she wasn’t surprised. She said racist language had been addressed to her before and saw how racism hurt black people in Saint-Louis.

What are people doing, especially people who have Black Lives Matter signs in their backyards or who see themselves as progressive individuals who live in a neighborhood beyond this type of incident, she said. What are they ready to do or change, in their behavior or in the neighborhood so that this does not happen again?

Ho said she didn’t know if the noose was meant to intimidate her or to intimidate her contractor, but that didn’t matter.

If you come for all of us, if you come for any of us, you come for all of us, says Ho. As an Asian woman who has seen and truly experienced and felt the rise in hate crimes and hate energy. towards Asians over the past couple of years, I just felt that it was really important not to let this get swept under the rug.

Follow Chad on Twitter @iamcdavis

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