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Two days after Donald Trump became president elect, Lawnside, New Jersey, resident Dawn Hines’ work day was interrupted by a series of calls from an unknown number.

When she finally answered her phone, it was her neighbor who informed her that her backyard fence was vandalized with spray paint depicting male genitalia and the words “I HATE N******. SORRY NOT SORRY.” The neighbor sent her photos of her defaced fence.

“Immediately, when I saw the graphics and exactly, you know, everything that it said and spelled out, I just was a little numb,” she said.

In the more than three centuries of Lawnside’s existence, nothing like this has ever happened, according to residents. Incorporated in 1926, the borough is the Garden State’s only Black antebellum community.

Hines has lived in Lawnside for more than two decades. She believes Trump’s history of incendiary rhetoric on race has emboldened racially motivated attacks.

“I would honestly say that it was done at the heels of the election,” she said.

Her backyard can be seen from a major road that connects to several nearby towns, including Runnemede, Magnolia and Voorhees, and she believes that’s the reason her fence became a target.

“It was strategically placed. It’s so perfect,” said Hines. “Anybody can, you know, just view what was put on there. They wanted to get the message across, and they did.”

Bias incidents have recently hit records in New Jersey

If the incident on Hines’ property is directly linked to the election, Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, said he would not be surprised.

“When you have hate spewing from the very top, what ends up happening is that there’s a trickle down of hate and fear that perpetuates our communities,” he said.

Sinha said that bias incidents, the state’s legal term for hate crimes, could increase as Trump selects cabinet members who share his divisive views.

“I’m afraid that we’re going to see more of that in the second Trump administration and potentially more hate crimes as a result,” he said.

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This story is part of the WHYY News Climate Desk, bringing you news and solutions for our changing region.

From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, what do you want to know about climate change? What would you like us to cover? Get in touch.

As President-elect Donald Trump promises to roll back Biden-era climate policies, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he remains steadfast in his commitment to fight climate change during the new Trump administration.

The Democratic governor’s comments came as New Jersey declared a drought warning following record-low rainfall leading to the region’s driest conditions in the past 120 years. As a result, the state is battling an unseasonably high number of wildfires, and its reservoir and groundwater supplies are dwindling.

“Now more than ever, New Jersey’s commitment to combating and adapting to climate change is unwavering,” Murphy said during a Wednesday press conference. “Regardless of which administration is in power at the federal level, our state is not going to back down. We’re going to do everything we can to reduce emissions, protect our precious environment and build a more sustainable future.”

Trump has promised to reverse Biden-era initiatives aimed at fighting global warming, including efforts to transition away from gas-guzzling cars in favor of electric vehicles. He campaigned on pledges to boost fossil fuel production, calling for more oil and gas drilling, and to scrap offshore wind projects and electric car subsidies.