Racist sign causes Black visitors to leave Wimberley

A racist sign was left on the front porch of a Black family’s cabin rental at 7A Ranch last week causing the family to leave town and head back home to Houston.

Kevin Burrell and his family were staying in Wimberley. In the early morning hours of June 20, Burrell heard a “loud boom” at the front door, he told KEYE News.

Outside, he found a sign that said, “White lives matter too!! Us people have a noise curfew in this town noise out at 10 pm or get your a**es out of town you people have a nice day now!,” on the front. The back of the sign said, “To the late night A****les Big Mouth up to 2:00 AM.”

“It’s so upsetting and hurting you can’t enjoy yourself peacefully, law-abiding, taxpaying individuals,” Burrell said. “You’re just going to have fun, unwind, let your kids have the opportunity to breathe fresh air out in the countryside and enjoy life without knowing that right around the corner or in the same area you’re in, you’re going to be dealing with bigotry and racism.”

The Hays County Sheriff’s Department said the incident is still under investigation. A representative of 7A Ranch said that there is video evidence of a person entering the property about the time the sign was left. The person came on to the property from Wayside Drive and exited the property to Wayside drive leaving the business to believe that it was not someone involved with the business, as an employee or a guest, that left the sign.

“It hurt me to my core that I had to explain it to my kids when we were leaving that we can’t stay here because we’re not wanted. I know this is not a first. This has been going on for hundreds of years, but it’s sad we’re still at that point where we have not progressed and not gotten better with these situations,” Burrell said. “I just never felt I was going to have to be explaining this to my kids at 13- and 8-years-old, and to some of the little kids we had to explain to what was going on. As an adult, teenager, yeah, but when you’ve got to explain this to kids, that’s just the time of where we’re at right now. You have to let everyone know you have to be aware of what’s going on around them, and that’s totally sad because everyone is not living like that, so why is it that Black Americans or anyone of color have to go through something like this just to exist. That’s terrifying, sad, heart-wrenching. I’m just emotionally drained.”

Multiple Wimberley City Council Members and Mayor Gina Fulkerson visited the family to apologize for the situation. The family was offered the protection of an off duty police officer but chose to go home instead.

7A Ranch submitted a column, which ran in full in last week’s Wimberley View, denouncing the action and asking the community to come together in opposition to this action.

“At 7A, we welcome all families and support equality and justice for all,” 7A Ranch’s column said. “The cowardice of the individual that threatened our guests is intolerable. We ask that all of us step up and do more. Make your friends, family, and neighbors aware that you will not tolerate bigotry and hatred in any form. We must all hold ourselves accountable to ensure our community is one of inclusiveness and openness.”

Tina Pennington, former Wimberley ISD Board of Trustee, felt the same way. She wanted to do something that would show Wimberley would stand up against racism.

Pennington made 50 signs that said, “We love the Burrell family,” and asked businesses to place the signs in their window. The signs went so quickly that she had to go make more.

“I’m not even sure that what I was doing was the right thing to do, but I wanted to do something and let this family know how we felt,” Pennington said. “…People just wanted this family to know that they thought what happened was wrong and that they value them and cherish them and make every family feel like they can come to Wimberley… without having to worry about someone exhibiting hate based on race.”

“The signs were a way to show love,” she continued. “The sign that they put up was a sign of hate, and I wanted to counter act this one sign of hate with many signs of love.”

All quotes from Kevin Burrell are from an interview with KEYE News.