Racist message, dead raccoon left for Oregon mayor, Black city council member

An Oregon mayor’s office was subjected to a disturbing incident when a deceased raccoon and a sign featuring “intimidating language” referencing a Black city councilor were found outside, according to police reports.

Redmond’s Mayor Ed Fitch discovered the raccoon and the sign on Monday, as detailed in a press release by the Redmond Police Department. Both Fitch and Redmond City Councillor Clifford Evelyn were identified by name on the sign, the police stated.

Fitch characterized the language used on the sign as “racially offensive.” Although he refrained from discussing further details, he told The Bulletin, “It’s disheartening to see Clifford subjected to this. It’s apparent there are some individuals in the community who are yet to reconcile with the fact that Clifford, being Black, serves on the City Council.”

City spokesperson Heather Cassaro disclosed that the exact wording on the sign is being kept confidential to protect the ongoing investigation. The act is being probed as a potential hate crime, according to the police.

Evelyn, a retired law enforcement officer who was elected to the council in 2021, labeled the act as a hate crime but expressed confidence in the police investigation, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Raccoon symbolism has a longstanding history as a derogatory and anti-Black caricature in the United States. The offensive stereotype, which finds its roots in slavery, is among “the most overtly humiliating of all Black stereotypes,” as stated by the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery in Michigan.

Redmond has recently witnessed similar racially charged incidents. A Black teenager from the city found a menacing message on her doorstep, while an unsuccessful Deschutes County Commission candidate publicly displayed a Confederate flag during the city’s Fourth of July parade.

Commenting on the situation, Evelyn said, “The people in this region need to progress with the times. It’s a minority group of troublemakers who are holding us back. Their actions harm the community and cast us in a negative light.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Racial Hate Crime in Oregon