Racist Hate Mail Against Poulsbo Festival Backfires
Racist hate mail sent to Poulsbo is directed at a young African-American woman who is "Miss Viking Fest".
But the hate mail has sparked an outpouring of love.
"Little girls," says Jasmine Campbell, " I think they recognize me when I have my crown on. They're like 'Wow!' It feels really good to say hi to them."
Campbell loves being this year's Miss Viking Fest. The yearly Poulsbo festival is a celebration of all things Scandinavian. In spite of its heritage, no one was surprised when the articulate, pretty young woman won this year's competition.
"You don't have to be of Viking stock," says Kathi Foresee, Viking Fest secretary, "I don't even know that all of us that work on the organization are of Viking stock," she laughs.
But then came the hate mail. At least a dozen racist e-mails - all from outside of Poulsbo - asked festival organizers how they could let a black woman represent a Viking Festival.
At first Jasmine says it made her, "feel really mad because you want to find out who they are, and then after that kind of the hurt, hurtfulness about it."
Poulsbo police are investigating the hate mail. They also plan to keep an extra close eye out during the festival to make sure that people coming to the festival don't plan on causing trouble.
But as news slowly leaked out about the hate mail - something began happening in town.
We asked people on the street their reaction: "I'm disgusted," Naomi Durst told us. When Linda Melseth found out, "this just upsets me and makes me sick."
And folks who might have ignored Miss Viking Fest a week ago are now coming out of the woodwork. Dan Downing crossed the street when he saw Campbell, just to shake her hand and congratulate her.
"It's great having you represent this area and congratulations on winning the prize you deserve it," he said. And then he just had to add about the people who sent the hate mail, "those jerks need to be removed from the gene pool."
Poulsbo - land of the Vikings - is opening its arms.
"The outpouring has been swift and great," says Campbell's mother Peggy Stanley. "The vast majority are there for her and support her and love her."
So, hate mail messages that could have wrecked Viking Fest instead are giving Poulsbo one more reason to celebrate what it stands for.
"It feels good," adds Campbell, "it feels good to know the community is behind you."
Viking Fest begins Friday May 19, and continues through that Sunday with the parade on Saturday May 20 at noon.