Moms fight back after anonymous letter targets black nanny
Heather DeJonker couldn’t stay silent after finding a vile letter in her mailbox.
Someone had anonymously placed a hate-filled, racist note in her box that used derogatory language against DeJonker’s black nanny of three years.
The nanny and recent college graduate, 24-year-old Ferrai Pickett, couldn’t read the letter until she was surrounded by her friends and family.
One portion of it read: “We do not need an infestation in our community. There are plenty educated Caucasian nannies available if you are willing to pay them accordingly…”
DeJonker, Pickett and other mothers near the Chicago neighborhood where the illegal incident took place organized the Stand up to Hate Play Date, which was held at Talcott Playground in Chicago last week. It drew more than 150 people. It was the group’s way of voicing their beliefs: hate has no place in the world.
It was Pickett’s first experience with racism since she’s worked for several families in the area, she told the Huffington Post.
“It’s a quiet, diverse neighborhood,” she said. “It’s always been welcoming, and I get along with all the moms.”
She graduated with a degree in early childhood education. Aside from the disgust from the foul letter, educating the area children helped drive the Stand up to Hate Play Date.
“All of us are in education, and it felt like we could use this to teach the kids,” Pickett said in the article. “We didn’t want this person to be the voice of the neighborhood.”