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Racist letter tells black family to leave New York town

A black family living in a mostly white New York town was told in an anonymous letter to leave "as soon as you can" because "you don't belong here."
Keys on top of letters are seen in a home. (Photo by Trevor Hart/Gallery Stock)
Keys on top of letters are seen in a home.

A black family living in a mostly white New York town was told in an anonymous letter to "find the town where there are more people like you," because "you don't belong here."

Ronica Copes posted the racist letter, which was left in her family's mailbox, on Facebook Thursday, writing: "Unbelievable but then it's not."

"Please leave Lindenhurst as soon as you can," the letter added. "It will be better for all of us."

The letter said that the town of Lindenhurst, on New York's Long Island, is 84% white (in fact, census records from 2010 show the figure is 86%.)

"To the coward who committed a hate crime against an innocent family in Lindenhurst—there is no place for intolerance in Suffolk County," County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement obtained by PIX11. "I know the Suffolk County Police Department will do everything possible to solve this hate crime, out you and see you punished."