Owner believes vandalism of their shop was racially motivated.

Callie’s Custom Hat Wigs, a Black-owned wig shop in Oregon, was the victim of an alarming act of vandalism. Tralice Lewis, the owner of the shop located in Rockwood Market Hall in Gresham, arrived at her business on Oct. 3 and found that her storefront had been defaced. Surveillance footage showed a man in a mask spray painting over a picture of her mother’s face and blacking out the words “Black-owned.”

Lewis was overwhelmed with emotion. She said her first reaction was to try and contain her distress. “I’m telling myself, ‘Don’t break down, don’t cry, hold it in, hold it in,’” Lewis said. She went on to explain the importance of the shop to her and her family. It was named after her late mother, Callie, who taught her about wigs, and her late daughter, and it represented her mother’s legacy and her daughter’s legacy.

The neighboring businesses in the market hall, including The Other Side Nursery, a plant nursery, have been incredibly supportive. Nat Jiranuwatana, the nursery’s owner, said this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In Summer 2023, a suspect wrote a racist word and smeared feces on a signpost. Jiranuwatana said the racist motivation was obvious. “It was pretty hurtful … I mean, just stop.”

Unfortunately, stories like this are becoming increasingly common. In June 2023, a dead raccoon and a sign with “intimidating language” was left outside the office of the mayor of Redmond, Oregon. In late September 2023, another beauty supply store in Philadelphia— Nat’s Beauty Supply—was robbed two nights in a row, with wigs and hair extensions stolen off the shelves.

Lewis is determined to find hope in these difficult times. “It takes a lot of energy to be that hateful,” Lewis said. “The hope is that the community comes together and help Black businesses, brown businesses come together to stop this racism, to stop this vandalism, because it’s hard to recover.” She is an example of strength and resilience in the face of hate.

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