Muskegon mayor calls vandalism of Black-owned business ‘abhorrent and unacceptable’

MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson called the recent vandalism of a Black-owned businessman’s vehicle “abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Johnson said during Tuesday’s city commission meeting that he felt compelled to acknowledge the incident at Big Weezy’s Kitchen, 1125 West Hackley Rd, that police are investigating.

Owner Tawayne Davis said on Monday, Dec. 9, the letters “KKK” were spray-painted on the side of his SUV parked at the restaurant, with the windows smashed out and gasoline inside. He said he felt it was racially motivated. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a hate group with a history of violence.

“I want to repudiate it,” Johnson said at the Dec. 10 meeting. “I have no doubt that this entire city commission and the entirety of our organization finds that act abhorrent and unacceptable.”

A neighbor called Davis around 1 a.m. after seeing someone on the property. Given the gasoline in the vehicle, Davis said the person “most definitely” intended to also start a fire.

“I was just wondering, why?” Davis said. “I really don’t think it’s the neighborhood; I just think it’s the individual.”

Big Weezy’s Kitchen opened in July in Muskegon’s Campbell Field neighborhood. Davis works alongside three family members at the restaurant.

“They’ve been showing me a lot of love and support,” Davis said, of the neighborhood.

“I’m just going to keep striving. It didn’t change my mind about the area – I love it. They’re going to have to do more than that just to move me out.”

Davis said while a neighboring business has cameras installed, the suspect was not recognizable on the footage.

The Muskegon Police Department could not be reached about the status of the investigation.

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