A Philadelphia community came together to “let the light in” after a vandal spray-painted a swastika on a bench at a neighborhood park.
The vandalism occurred at the Shissler Recreation Center on Blair Street in Fishtown. Beth Huxta Conant, who has lived in the neighborhood for seven years, told NBC10 she became aware of the vandalism Friday when another woman posted a photo in the Fishtown Mamas Facebook group.
Conant says another member of the community covered up the graffiti but she still wanted to do more. The 32-year-old mother told NBC10 she and her friend then became inspired by an episode of the hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.”
“The lead character is branded with a swastika and they turned it into a window,” Conant said.
Conant believed a window would represent “letting the light in,” and “love in the face of hate.” She then posted in the Fishtown Mamas Facebook group and called on other members to help her draw windows throughout the park.
While Conant invited other group members to join her at 10 a.m. Saturday, she arrived three hours earlier with her husband. They first drew a window over the spot on the bench where the swastika once was. They were soon joined by other people at the park.
“Other people saw us and they helped us draw more and more windows,” Conant said.
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Members of the Fishtown Mamas group eventually arrived and helped with the artwork.
“I was really moved by the community reaction,” Conant said.
While the swastika was spray-painted on the bench before the presidential election, Conant said the recent acts of vandalism and hateful messages in the city and surrounding areas weighed heavily on her mind.
“I felt like I was channeling a lot of my anger and a lot of anger about what was happening in Philadelphia,” she said.
Conant told NBC10 she hopes the actions of both her and members of her community can provide some inspiration during a time of major divisiveness across the nation.
“Let the light in,” Conant wrote in a message to the community. “Love, hugs and solidarity to everyone.”
