Action News viewer steps up to fix fence vandalized with racist graffiti in Lawnside, N.J.

LAWNSIDE, N.J. (WPVI) -- A local business owner is stepping up to help right a racist wrong in Camden County, New Jersey.

Last weekend, a Lawnside resident woke up to find that someone had spray-painted a terrible slur on her fence.

Nick Amechi, from Fence USA, saw the story about this horrible incident air on Action News and reached out, hoping to help.

"We found out about the story this weekend through 6abc. Our mission as a company at Fence USA is to help people," Amechi said.

While much of the graffiti has been scrubbed or painted over, the residue of what happened remains.

The fence belongs to Dawn Hines, who has lived in the historically Black community for 20 years.

She discovered the racist, disgusting graffiti over the weekend.

Hines immediately notified police and her neighbors started to come out in droves to stand up to such hate.

"Everybody who knows me knows I'm always smiling. They call me 'happy' but I haven't been smiling lately. This right here? I'm definitely smiling inside!" Hines said.

Lawnside was the first independent, self-governing African American municipality north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The community roots are deep, and this will not be tolerated.

And Amechi decided to do something about it by replacing the fence.

"Erase the hate, bring the love. This right here exemplifies all of that," Hines said.

Police are investigating but so far no one has been charged.

Meanwhile, Camden County East NAACP is hosting a meeting this weekend about the incident at Lawnside Borough Hall.