March to be held in Warren, support for victims of hate crime

Hubert Roberts, an activist for Black Lives Matter and other rights groups, found his truck vandalized with the N-word, 'WITE PRIDE' and swastikas

Bryce Airgood | Detroit Free Press

Detroit Free Press

Hubert Roberts

Editor's Note: There is language and photos in this story that some may find offensive. Reader discretion is advised.

When Hubert Roberts woke up Tuesday morning at his home in Clio, Mich., he was planning to follow his usual morning routine as a mentor in the community.

He was planning on taking two boys to get haircuts. But those plans abruptly ended when Roberts walked out of his house and the morning became "unbelievable."

The N-word, "WITE PRIDE" and multiple swastikas had been painted onto Roberts' 2011 Chevrolet Silverado. Red shoelaces hung from both rearview mirrors, a symbol Roberts said is used by the Ku Klux Klan for intimidation and initiation into the organization.

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Photos: Activist's vehicle vandalized with racial slurs

As he looked at his truck, Roberts, who is black, said a number of emotions swirled through his mind.

Disbelief. He didn't think it was real. Then anger. And then disappointment.

He said he could not think of any recent altercations that could have caused this other than the normal interactions he has had while protesting, which includes people spitting on him and calling him offensive names.

Roberts said he got out his phone and took pictures of his truck, which he had bought just two years ago. He sent them to his family, trying to channel his anger.

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His stepdaughter, Jiquanda Johnson, founder and publisher of the online publication Flint Beat, said when she saw the texts she felt a mix of emotions –- anger, frustration, a little overwhelmed and tired. She said she remembered feeling very hot in her face.

When you pull up to her parents' home in Clio, Mich., Johnson said, the first thing you see is a sign that says, "Hugs for Unity."

If anyone knows her dad, she said, they know he's always out there, boots on the ground, mentoring youth.

She said Roberts will stand on the corner, draped in chains and holding a sign for Black Lives Matter or another rights group.

Johnson said the truck also has activist symbols on it for the Black Lives Matter movement and the film "Black Panther," which might have made him a target.

"Now I get it. People get upset about other people's views and how they feel," Johnson said in a Facebook Live video showing the truck's vandalism. "But that gives no one the right to damage someone else's property or come on anyone's property."

Johnson said her mom has lived at the home for 14 years. Although her mother has been called offensive names, no one had ever actually vandalized their property.

Until now.

June 19, the day Roberts found his vandalized truck, is also known as Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Across the country, the day is marked with events and parades.

"As a Nation, we vow to never forget the millions of African-Americans who suffered the evils of slavery," President Donald Trump said in a statement Tuesday recognizing the holiday. "Together, we honor the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness. Today we recommit ourselves to defending the self-evident truth, boldly declared by our Founding Fathers, that all people are created equal."

Genesee County Sheriff's Office was contacted about the vandalism and they are investigating. In addition, the Michigan chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) offered $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Sheriff's deputies were unable to dust the truck for prints due to the rain the night before, Roberts said.

He said if the culprits are found, he wants this to be a teachable moment and wants them to have the chance to help pay for the truck's damage.

Johnson said many people think racism is a southern thing, that people don't talk about it in the north or midwest.