SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Springfield neighborhood center has been vandalized with racial slurs and phallic symbols.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that the Bartley-Decatur Neighborhood Center was tagged with fluorescent paint late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Longtime director Mark Dixon said it is too early to tell how much the cleanup would cost.
The historic building spent decades serving the city’s Black community as a hospital, convalescent home and daycare facility before falling into disrepair.
Since it was restored with a $500,000 federal grant, is has served as a community hub and gathering place for many diverse groups, including the Springfield NAACP.
