New Jersey
Vigil in Lawnside shines light on love and unity in face of recent hate incident
It has been decades since Lawside was subject to a racist attack, according to Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society. Shockley said the last recorded incident was shortly after the borough’s incorporation in 1926. During that time, several residents of Woodcrest burned crosses on several occasions when that white neighborhood was unsuccessful in trying to secede from Lawnside.
Shockley, who is a member of WHYY’s Community Advisory Board, spoke to the crowd about the borough’s history dating back to the colonial period when Lawnside was known as Free Haven.
“We were taught in our schools the proud history of this community, founded by people who believed in freedom,” she said. “These people followed that desire to be free. It’s a natural human desire to be free.”