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LISBON --The village police department is continuing to investigate a racial incident directed at a black FedEx driver that is drawing national attention after he posted a video on Facebook.
Brandon Brackins, 23, stopped his delivery truck on North Market Street about 1:30 p.m. June 10 and was getting a package out of the back when he said "some (expletive) hick" drove around him at a high rate of speed and nearly hit him. As the driver passed by a passenger in the vehicle reportedly called Brackins a racial slur and spit on him.
"I want to bury somebody right now," a distraught Brackins says in the Facebook video he made explaining the incident. "Why so much hate. Why? Why? … I don't get it. I really don't get it."
Brackins was so shaken by what occurred, he pulled over and made the video, which had 1.3 million views as of 6 p.m. Monday and has drawn attention from media outlets across the world. "Almost hit me. Called me a (racial slur) and then spit on me. Spit on me? Really? Wow. Just wow," he said.
FedEx filed a police report, and police chief Mike Abraham said the investigation is continuing, but he declined to get into specifics at this time.
Brackins, who is from the Cleveland area and has white family members, said as a black man he has been on the receiving end of other racist encounters before. "I'm usually really good with words. I really don't let this (expletive) get to me, but when you almost hit me and spit on me and call me a (racial slur) … ," he said.
Some Lisbon residents want to let it be known they do not condone that kind of behavior and is selling signs saying "Hate has no home here," with the proceeds going to a charity of Brackins' choosing, according to WKBN, the Morning Journal's news partner.
"Well, when I saw the video, I was so disheartened. I was so sad that this happened in our little town, and I just felt like we had to do something to show Brandon that not all of us are like that person who assaulted him that day. And that when he comes to work every day and delivers in Lisbon, that he sees how many people support him and love him here in this town and appreciate him and appreciate what he does," said organizer Christine Scheffler.
The signs are being made and should be ready this week. More than 200 signs have been ordered so far.
If you'd like to send a letter of support, gift card or money for Brackins to give to the charity of his choice, you can mail them to Schreffler at 605 N. Market St., or to Eric Davis, 355 E. Chestnut St., Lisbon, 44432.
In related news, WKBN reported people in Columbiana came out Sunday for a peaceful rally to discuss how systemic racism impacts their town. More than 100 demonstrators gathered on the lawn at the First Presbyterian Church to discuss racial injustice, with Pastor Fritz Nelson saying the first step is to listen to those affected in your community.
"Columbiana is a more and more multicultural community, but unless we listen to our neighbors that our different than us, we don't know their experiences and then once we listen to them we have to walk alongside them," Fritz said.
There was a prayer and eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence in honor of George Floyd.
One of the speakers was coordinator Monique Cobbins, who says she was glad everyone came, but the real work occurs afterwards.
"It's not enough just to not be racist. You have to, in a way, be anti-racist and put a stop to it whenever you hear it from a friend or colleague or anybody," Cobbins said.
"Like one of the speakers said, this is the easy part. We have to take it beyond a protest, beyond a rally and influence other people that we are exposed to that may not have the same mindset," said Linh Hoang, a protester.
"What they need to do is vote," said Daniel Winston, candidate for 5th District State Representative. "Things are only going to change if we can get good people in positions of power to make great change happen. So let's utilize our voices, but let's utilize our voice as well."
Although there were disturbances from locals who did not agree with the rally, it remained largely peaceful.