Antisemitic signs removed after protest at Dunwoody home

A Dunwoody North resident negotiated an agreement with a Womack Road homeowner to remove an antisemitic sign from her front yard after 20 people gathered to protest.

The homeowner, whose residence is less than a block from Dunwoody High School on a well-traveled pedestrian sidewalk, has allegedly been displaying for months multiple yard signs in support of Palestine, including one with slurs against Jewish people.

The controversy came to a head after social media posts detailed the situation, causing a grassroots protest on Wednesday, Aug. 14 around 6 p.m. More than 20 people, several bearing Israeli flags and placards espousing peace, gathered near the home. But it was the act of one woman who brought the potentially volatile situation to a peaceful conclusion.

Lydia Singleton was that person who approached the homeowner and asked to meet on the front porch.

“I asked the homeowner if I could approach her and enter her property. She agreed,” Singleton said. “After a brief conversation, she told me what was on her heart, and I told her about the concerns that people had about the sign. It was a very kind conversation, and she told me that she had been on the receiving end of very hurtful speech. Even as we spoke, I heard some of that speech.”

The homeowner agreed to remove one sign which contained 24 references to Jewish people as the slur “kikes.”

“I guess I have the gift of listening to people who are hurting,” Singleton said. “I believe that we all have to take a breath, realize that we are all human, and that we can come to a place of understanding.”

After removing the sign, Singleton urged the protesters to disperse, said Kelly Pettet Gray, who was one of the witnesses to the event.

“Lydia thanked everyone for coming and said, ‘Let’s go home,'” Pettet said. “The way this happened is just a tribute to the strength of Dunwoody and the people who live here.”

Singleton said the conversation did not end there. After her brief in-person encounter, she spoke with the woman on the phone while heading back to Dunwoody North subdivision. They already have plans to continue their conversation next week.

“Not only did this demonstrate the importance of creating a dialogue, it also establishes the foundation for a future relationship,” Singleton said. “Today, I met a neighbor.”

After social media posted several pictures of the sign earlier this week, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, who is Jewish, posted a statement on social media calling the presence of the signs “deeply disturbing and offensive.”

She said the city has no power to remove the placards as they don’t violate its sign regulations.

“We cannot have the sign removed or legislate against hate speech, but we can encourage residents to engage in respectful dialogue,” Deutsch said. “We can disagree without being disagreeable. Our goal is to balance free expression with creating a welcoming and supportive community.”

It seems that the efforts of one woman did the trick.