After Nashville homes vandalized with messages of hate, neighbors organize cleanup to spread love

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - After several homes in a neighborhood were vandalized, neighbors came together to spread the message of love.

On Sunday morning, a community was stunned after more than four homes were vandalized with racist and antisemitic graffiti in Sylvan Park, a neighborhood in Nashville

When people walked outside to find swastikas, the N-word and “white power” spray-painted on the sides of homes, many were outraged, but one homeowner took this as an opportunity to spread a different message.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Swastikas, hate messages sprayed on Sylvan Park homes

In Ring doorbell footage, two men were seen on camera in the act of vandalizing. One man thought he had covered the camera with spray paint, but it still managed to capture video.

Two people can be seen stealing someone’s American flag in the video before moving to the side and spray-painting something on the side of a home.

Lizzie Harvey was one of the four homeowners whose homes were vandalized.

“We woke up this morning to a police officer knocking on our door telling us that our house was vandalized,” Harvey said.

Although the home shown on the video wasn’t Harvey, officials with the Metro Police Department believe those are the same suspects that also vandalized her home.

“We just thought it would be normal graffiti,” Harvey said. “We didn’t think too much of it, and when we went outside, obviously, we were shocked to see that we were victims of a hate crime.”

Harvey said she and her family were in disbelief.

“I think that the rhetoric in this country is increasing; we are feeling it here at home in Nashville,” Harvey said. “We are not immune to this.”

Instead of quickly cleaning up the graffiti, Harvey and her husband decided to do something else.

The Harveys organized a community cleanup event to not only allow neighbors, including children, to help clean up the graffiti but to spread a message of love.

“It is imperative that we speak up and not remain silent,” Harvey said.

While they cleaned, children used chalk and markers to create signs that promote love.

“You see this message? This is the message I want you all to get,” Harvey said. “Our neighborhood welcomes all ages, races, religions, gender identities and family configurations. We firmly reject and refuse any fruitless attempts to derail and distract us from maintaining this hospitable safe and positive place to be good neighbors.”

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