Riverhead-based youth organization cancels event after racist and threatening phone calls

The Riverhead-based Butterfly Effect Project has decided to cancel an upcoming fundraiser because of racist and threatening phone calls, according to the organization’s founder.

The nonprofit youth-serving organization is concerned with the security of the March 22 Pearls of Wisdom event after its office received multiple calls over the last week threatening to slash the tires and put sugar in the gas tanks of cars parked at the event venue, Executive Director Tijuana Fulford said in an interview Wednesday. The callers, who did not identify themselves, also slung racist slurs and dehumanizing insults to Black people at the staff members who picked up the phone, Fulford said.

“You can’t put a face to it, you can’t put a name to it. You can’t put a location to it.” Fulford said. “The worst part about this is it’s like you’re defending yourself against a ghost. I don’t know who it is.”

The organization has been receiving an average of three to four calls a day, Fulford said. She decided to cancel the event after the office received seven calls on Tuesday.

The Pearls of Wisdom event was a fundraiser to help the organization’s children pay for their college applications, Fulford said. It was a partnership with the National Coalition of Black Women and was to be held at the Black-led First Baptist Church of Riverhead. The organizations had 12 local women to give advice to the next generation; the threatening calls came after the organization began to post the pictures of the guest speakers, Fulford said. 

“We’re gonna push through and hopefully our women empowerment event is successful, because now we need it more than ever, because we canceled a small-scale fundraiser that helps support [our programs],” Fulford said. “My main thing is making sure my girls are okay, my guys in the program are okay — they’re heard and validated and seen. They don’t have to be at the forefront of this. That’s what’s important to me right now.”

The threats are an escalation of the recent racist attacks against the organization through social media. On Feb. 28, Fulford spoke about racist and derogatory comments on a Facebook post advertising an event celebrating women empowerment and honoring Fulford and five volunteer leaders — all of which are Black women. 

At the time of the press conference, the organization had not received any phone calls or threats. But after the press conference, the office began to receive calls that would drop suddenly; that escalated to the threatening phone calls, which have become “more and more frequent,” Fulford said. 

“I know now that there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Fulford said of defeating hate. “And unfortunately, as much as we feel like we are progressing, there are some sentiments that are out there that are horrible. People share those sentiments and spreading them — where they can, and when they get away with it and people support it.”

Fulford made a police report after the first of the call threats were made and were referred to the Suffolk County Hate Crime Unit, who “told us, pretty much, it’s not a hate crime,” she said. “I have not called them back after that because … me bringing the police here multiple times at a child organization, it’s not helping.”

“Our information is all over social media, so you know where we are. We have this massive sign out there, and all this stuff was incredibly awesome,” Fulford said. “and now it’s incredibly stressful, because we have to change everything up.”

Fulford said the whole ordeal has been stressful. She should be focusing on fundraising to improve the organization, she said; instead, she’s stressed and worried about the security of Butterflies and Dragonflies.

“I’m not hurt. I’m disappointed. Because in a time where funding is starting to get a little tight for people, we rely on these little programs. And these programs allow us to thrive and continue and help,” Fulford said. “And then it’s not even about the money… it’s more about we rely on the opportunity to be seen and heard and to showcase incredible people in and around our neighborhood. And to be called monkeys? to a church that’s very dear to me to be considered the n— church? Like, my kids were baptized in that church. I was baptized in that church. Like it just is hateful.”

Fulford said the loss of the fundraiser and cost of increased security comes at a time when the organization is experiencing cuts in funding. Economic hardship has caused some major donors to contribute less than they originally pledged, she said. Suffolk County also cut $10,100 in its budget for The Butterfly Effect Project this year, according to Newsday; Fulford and other organizations whose funding was cut — all of which are led by people of color — are lobbying to get the funding restored.

Fulford said she is in the process of cutting the organization’s budget. One of the things cut was a trip the organization’s step team was planning to take to a competition, Fulford said.

The incidents aren’t getting the teens and children in the program down, Fulford said. The program teaches the Butterflies and Dragonflies how to meet challenges head-on, she said. Despite the threats, local people have been hugely supportive. “I’m grateful for the community that we are in,” Fulford said.

“Our work speaks for ourselves, and if they actually went on our social media page they would see that,” Fulford said. “So that lets me know that they don’t really care what we do, they care about what they want to say.”

The Butterfly Effect Project was founded in 2014 to break down racial, cultural, economic and social barriers and empower young girls of diverse backgrounds. It is based in Jamesport and has chapters that serve youth across Suffolk County.

People who want to contribute to The Butterfly Effect Project, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, can visit the organization’s website.