Siler City restaurant owners, customers defiant following racist message
Customers at a Siler City restaurant are standing up to racism by filling the tables after the owners received hate mail that included numerous racial slurs this week.
Andre Chaney and Ivan Santos opened A&I’s Chicken Shack about three weeks ago, saying they like the area and wanted to join other small businesses popping up in western Chatham County.
But Chaney, who is black, said he got an unwelcome greeting in a letter he received Wednesday telling him the restaurant has no place in Siler City.
"You will not make it here. Leave town or we will help you," the letter, signed "White Nationalists," concluded.
"When I got the letter and opened it and started reading it, maybe to the second line, and it kind of brought tears to my eyes," Chaney said Friday.
He posted the letter to social media as a way to speak out against the person or people behind it. The post quickly generated support for A&I's Chicken Shack from people near and far.
"That’s just hatred right there, just hatred," customer Brenda Hayes said.
"It’s just outrageous. Why would they do something like that?" customer Annie Johnson asked.
"We are a community of love and compassion and understanding and acceptance, and I’m really proud of the community response," Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said.
Roberson's deputies are investigating the letter to determine who sent it, adding that it could lead to felony charges.
"We don’t know what the intent is. We know there’s inflammatory language in there. We know there’s things going on nationally that people are thinking about, but we’re worried about the real intent with this," he said.
Chaney said he appreciates the public support and said he refuses to let the hate-filled note stand in the way of doing business.
"There are great people here in Siler City, and there are people that support us," he said. "We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to stay right here. We don’t believe in hate. We don’t believe in fear. Siler City is family to us."
