Community rallies for Oak Park cafe owner
Brick wrapped with racist note found outside shop
Though she was surrounded by hundreds of community members who came out Thursday night to show their support, Reesheda Graham Washington wanted the crowd to know she was uncomfortable.
One day earlier, a brick wrapped with a racist note was discovered outside Washington’s L!VE Café in Oak Park, an incident that has left many in the community shaken.
“I want you all to know tonight that I am uncomfortable,” Washington said. “Iwant you all to knowthat I amtriggered. Iwant youto knowthat Iamtraumatized by the experiences that havehappenedin the last24 hours here.”
Shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday, a passerby noticed a brick wrapped in what appeared to be notebook paper lying in front of the café. Written on the paper was a message that, using a racial slur, said no Black people should be allowed on the ballot. Police say there was no visible damage to the cafe and they are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
Following the note’s discovery, many stopped into the café to offer support to Washington, while others wrote uplifting messages in chalk outside the coffee shop.
By the time the vigil began, the café’s windows were covered in paper hearts and a banner that read “We love L!VE Café.” The event brought hundreds of attendees, many holding candles, as the street in front of L!VE Café was closed off to traffic.
“The light and the candles and the darkness and thenews, this is not a source of solace for me,” Washington said. “Because when I see this thing it always means the same thing inmy community. If you’ve come here tonight because it’s exciting or because it’s kind of cool, that is not what tonight is about. Tonight is about learning how to be with family. This was the place for so many people and somebody took that away from us yesterday.”
Thebrickwas discovered the same day two Oak Park village trustee candidates were facing a challenge to
remain on theApril 6 ballot. The local electoral board hearingwas continued until Jan. 12.
Itwas also the same day a group of President Donald Trump’s supporters violently broke into the U.S. Capitol inWashington, D.C., as Congress was in the process of approving Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.
Oak Park village trustee candidates Chibuike Enyia and Anthony Clark, two Black men who are having their nominations challenged, spoke at the event.
“Somebody felt comfortable enough to come by this Blackwoman-owned establishment and throw a brick at it because what they truly believe is she doesn’t have enough value in this community for someone to care,” Clark said, challenging the crowd to continue to offer its support. “Don’t just showup when it’s a brick at a window or when somebody sprawls racist (language) across a wall. Don’t just say ‘Reesheda, I love you because you’re hurting.’ Stop by this café and say ‘Hey Blackwoman, you’re a queen.’ ”
L!VE Café first opened in 2016 with a goal of becoming a hub in the community where ideas can be exchanged and bridges between communities built.
“We have so much heal
ing that needs to be done,” Enyia said. “I love this community and what Reesheda did for it. She gave us a place where we could actually feelwe could accomplish goals and get things done. We don’t want her to feel like this isn’t her home anymore. We want her to feel safe.”
In a statement, Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb called the incident an attack on the entire community.
“This is horribly wrong and it is indicative of what is going on at the national level,” Abu-Taleb said. “This is an attack on a small business and its owner. It is an attack onmy neighbor. It is an attack on all of us. I am calling on all the good people of our community to reject racism, to stand together against injustice wherever it may exist. Let us all stand firm together and condemn such acts in the strongest possible terms and whoever is behind this act should be held accountable.”
After about 45 minutes of speeches in front of L!VE Café, the large group marched north on Oak Park Avenue toward Scoville Park. At the park, speakers stood at the base of the village’s World War I memorial to continue to offer support.
While she doesn’t know exactly who left the brick
outside of her café, Washington said she has no doubts about the type of person who would do such a thing.
“I knowthey’re scared of something,” Washington said. “I know they’re afraid because it happened in the shadows and in the behind and underneath and darkness and that’s what we do when we’re afraid of something. Whatwe knowis this is a fear crime.”