NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) —A Nashville company CEO says she will not be intimidated after finding a box painted with Confederate flags hanging from a tree on property owned by her business.
This happened in North Nashville at the corner of 21st Ave. N. and Jefferson St. in a predominantly Black neighborhood, and that CEO now wants to press charges.
Thankfully, Metro Police's bomb squad didn't find anything dangerous inside the box. Still, the owner of this land says it sent a clear message, and she wants to send an even clearer one back.
LaDonna Boyd took a video yesterday afternoon after finding a box painted with Confederate flags hanging from a tree on property owned by her business.
"We will certainly make sure that we get to the bottom of whoever did this," Boyd said in the video.
Boyd is the CEO of R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation in Nashville, which is one of the oldest black-owned businesses in the country, and was started by her great great grandfather.
She says whoever did this sent a loud and clear message.
"Right here at Citizens Bank, on historic Jefferson Street. Of course, Meharry's right behind us, Fisk University as well, TSU's right down the street, and tons of black-owned businesses and residents, so we know that this was very intentional," Boyd said.
Metro Police say they sent members of their bomb squad to the scene, and they found nothing dangerous in the box. Boyd says there was a note inside, but it had been raining, so they couldn't read it.
Still, she has her own message for whoever is responsible.
"We're not afraid, we're not intimidated, we're not going to stand for this and tolerate this, and that they should be warned that we are certainly going to press charges, and make sure that we're able to get full justice," Boyd said.
Right now, surrounding businesses are reviewing their surveillance footage to see if they can help. Boyd says she would pursue hate crime, intimidation, suspicious package and trespassing charges.
"I'm not surprised, it's just, it's sad, and it's unfortunate, and for someone to stand behind something like a Confederate flag... obviously they lost the war, and white supremacists are also going to lose this battle as well," Boyd said.