By Mary Ellen Cagnassola
Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The president of the Black Lives Matter Utah Chapter announced Sunday that she is resigning from her post due to death threats pouring in over a controversial social media post about the American Flag.
Lex Scott, who was also the president of the Utah Black History Museum until Sunday, said in a Facebook post in the BLM Utah Chapter group that she has "received death threats like a flood" since posting commentary about the meaning of the American flag under the account for BLM Utah Chapter, which is not connected to Black Lives Matter National.
An incident involving an individual trying to climb over her fence prompted Scott to move her family to safety.
Read More
Sheriff Sparks Outrage With Post Against ‘Incentivizing’ Beggars Amid Labor Shortage5 min read
How to Make Sure You and Your Baby Get More Sleep As a New Mom8 min read
Reputed ‘Godmother’ Mafia Boss Maria Licciardi Arrested at Airport3 min read
"This is not new. The only new thing was when someone attempted to climb over my fence and instead of defending myself, I relaxed my body and told myself that I wished they would hurry and get it over with. I did not even want to fight back. The exhaustion of being on defense had worn on me," Scott said in the Sunday Facebook post.
In the commentary Scott posted about the meaning of the American flag on July 4, she argued that for Black Americans, the flag is a warning that the person(s) flying it has hostile feelings toward people of color.
"When we Black Americans see this flag we know the person flying it is not safe to be around. When we see this flag we know the person flying it is a racist. When we see this flag we know that the person flying it lives in a different America than we do. When we see this flag, we question your intelligence. We know to avoid you. It is a symbol of hatred," the post read.
Scott said she had no regrets about the post and that "some of us live in a different America...we really do. We don't have the same experience as the people who are flying that [flag]."
...
Ensuing outrage over the Facebook post elicited a public response from Utah NAACP and Governor Spencer Cox.
"I think our flag stands against racism. I said I refuse to let white supremacists take away what that flag stands for and I refuse to let Lex Scott take away what that flag stands for," Cox told local ABC affiliate ABC4.
Neither BLM Utah Chapter, Scott nor the Utah Black History museum responded immediately to Newsweek's requests for comment. According to Scott's post, Rae Duckworth is now the President of BLM Utah and Mario Mathis has assumed her position as president of the Utah Black History. She praised them both, calling Duckworth the "answer to many of my prayers" and Mathis an "amazing person."
Scott did not reveal where her family was relocating but said in the Sunday Facebook post that they were moving to a majority Black city.
"The massive security procedures that became a part of daily life. Moving my daughter's bedroom to avoid a pipe bomb being thrown through her window," Scott said. "This is not life. And my family should not have to live that."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines