SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 6, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Police are investigating vandalism at Utah’s oldest Black church as a possible hate crime.
Salt Lake City police responded Sunday afternoon to the Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church at 239 E. 600 South, where members discovered a sign displaying the church’s future renovation plans had been torn down and damaged.
Officers also found a derogatory message painted on the sidewalk directly in front of the church. Police later learned the message had been painted on the sidewalk last week but had not been reported.
Police are asking anyone with information about the vandalism to call 801-799-3000.
The Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the 1880s as Utah’s first predominately Black congregation, according to its website. The church was established before Utah became a state in 1896.
