Video captured a white woman vandalizing a statue of the only Black member of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition, NBC-affiliate KGW reported on Wednesday.
Video obtained by the Portland, Ore., NBC-affiliate shows an unidentified white woman using purple spray paint to deface the statue of York, which honors an enslaved member of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
In an obscenity-laced rant, the woman says that she is a victim of “prejudice against Black and Hispanic people,” and says that replacing the statue of a white man with a Black man is “not unity.” She also shared her personal information with a bystander who recorded the incident.
The statue of York, who was the first Black person to cross North America and reach the Pacific Coast, replaced a statue of Harvey Scott, who was the longtime editor and owner of the Oregonian newspaper, according to NBC-affiliate KGW.
Scott’s statue was toppled in October because of his past conservative views on women’s suffrage, which he opposed.
This is the second time within three months that the statue of York has been vandalized, according to the Williamette Week report.
Portland Parks & Recreation told KGW that it’s already working on removing the paint and determining the cost of the damage. The Portland Police Department is investigating the incident.
The Hill has reached out to Portland Police for more information