Local community steps up to help Black mom being harassed by white neighbors

Trigger Warning: This report contains details of racism and violence that readers may find disturbing

Jennifer McLeggan, a single mom and registered nurse, lives with her daughter Immaculate in Valley Stream on Long Island. Ever since she purchased her property in the neighborhood, she has been the target of a number of intimidation and harassment attacks from her white neighbors. She kept receiving tickets for "property violations" which have now cost her thousands. Ultimately fed up with her living situation, she put up a sign on her front door in desperation. The sign laid out the multiple ways she has been threatened by her neighbors ever since she moved in. When members of the community spotted the sign, they showed up for her in the most meaningful ways possible. The community has since organized a protest and helped her gain legal recourse, ABC 7 reports.

"I bought the property when I was pregnant, and this is the truth, the property was in bad shape," she explained in an interview with the news outlet. "I'm trying my best to make every effort to clean the property. I've done my best to clean the property. I mow the lawn, when there's snow out here I'm shoveling the snow by myself. I'm doing what I can to keep the property clean. I kept on noticing dog feces. I kept on noticing ticket ordinances from the Valley Stream Village town. I keep getting tickets. I keep seeing dog feces. I installed a camera here. I caught my neighbor throwing dog feces in front of my property. I took that video to court, and I won a judgment."

However, the harassment did not stop there. Therefore, the single mother decided to put up signs on her front door. It reads, among other things, that her neighbors had been racially harassing her by planting dead squirrels in her backyard, walking around the back of the house with guns, spitting on her property, and taking a blow torch to her home at 3 a.m. "I live in fear for my life at home," she affirmed. "You will hear prayers coming from my home. I apologize for the noise." Even when she was the one being threatened, she was apologetic about the noise. If a Black woman cannot feel safe in her own home, where is she supposed to go?

Thankfully, the community rallied together in her support. Soon enough, other residents of the neighborhood began taking shifts outside her house to "keep guard" and make sure her neighbors didn't try to harm her in any way possible. Jennifer, who had initially put the sign up "in case something happens to her" there, was protected by her community members because of it. Erica Coreas, a fellow resident of Valley Stream, shared that she too had been harassed "but not to this level." She said, "We're just trying to give her as much love and support as we can." Nassau County detectives are currently investigating the situation.

"[We] will not tolerate any resident being harassed or intimidated because of who they are or what they look like," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran declared in a statement. "We take these allegations seriously, and Nassau County PD is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter." Community members have also organized a rally in support of Jennifer. Further to this, they have helped her set up a GoFundMe campaign. If you would like to donate to help her raise money for a surety system, you can visit the fundraiser here. The description reads, "[Jennifer and her daughter] have been a victim of harassment by her neighbor. Said neighbors have called the village to complain about numerous 'violations' on her property that have cost her thousands. With this being said she has not been able to afford a proper security system to protect her and her daughter. Any donations would be gratefully appreciated."