US Historic Black School Vandalized with Nazi, Racist Graffiti

The historic Black Ashburn Colored School in Virginia was vandalized with racist graffiti, including swastikas and "white power" slogans, as it is being renovated by a group of local students who look to turn it into an education museum, local media reported Saturday.

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“We are very sad to report that there was vandalism at the Old School last night. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Sheriff's Department,” the Loudoun School for the Gifted, the group leading the project to restore the historic school, said in a statement on Facebook.

“While we are heartbroken about this senseless act, please know that our students, volunteers, and community will work even harder to complete the dream of renovating the Ashburn Colored School.”

The group raised US$20,000 for the project which also hopes to highlight the region’s Jim Crow segregation practices. Meanwhile, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation into the incident.

"The vandalism to the Old Ashburn School is reprehensible and will not be tolerated here in Loudoun County," said Sheriff Mike Chapman.

The Ashburn Colored School opened in 1892 when schools were racially segregated by law, to teach Black students in Loudoun County.

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It remained open until the late 1950s, right around the U.S. Supreme Court banned segregated education. The group behind the project is hoping to raise up to US$100,000 in order to cover the costs of the renovations.

The incident comes amid a heated presidential election season in which Republican nominee Donald Trump have used racist and Islamophobic rhetoric that has gained him the support of many high-profile neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

The news also comes amid a heated national debate over racial injustice and biased police killings of Black people in the United States which have ignited protests and unrest in several cities over the past few years.