Though our community is increasingly committed to racial justice and racial harmony, random acts of racism still occur in Bellingham, as they do across the country.

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Like many America cities, Bellingham saw an upsurge of racist activity immediately following the George Floyd murder. Against the backdrop of anti-racism protests across the country and in Bellingham, racist activity increased. For instance, White supremacist flyers were left on doorsteps in the Bellingham’s Lettered Streets Neighborhood. A number of people were seen carrying assault rifles in downtown Bellingham in a display of intimidation. A man was seen shouting racial epithets near the Buchanan Towers residence hall at WWU. The WWU campus was also targeted with flyers from the Patriot Front, a known white supremacist group.

Another illustration of these random acts of racism occurred in June 2024, when an eleven year old Black child was physically assaulted by a White supremacist in public. The mayor and police chief issues a public statement about this incident. More details regarding this incident were outlined in statement from a coalition of concerned community groups.