Several people associat
ed with the community of Hopkins and the Hopkins Public Schools are rallying around Viking senior Jalen Kisner, recent victim of a racial slur applied to his vehicle, by offering a reward to catch the perpetrator.
Kisner, who will graduate in less than a month as a star athlete, indicated that he had taken the vehicle to baseball practice, after which he noticed this graffiti.
Kisner, who will enroll at Northwood University next fall, where he intends to play football, grew up in Hopkins and is of mixed race.
Shawn Moulenbelt, a Hopkins High School graduate, said on Facebook
, “If anyone provides me with information leading to the apprehension of the individual who wrote this on Jalen Kisner’s car in the school parking lot recently, I am posting a $150 reward. Please repost in the hopes this reaches the right person. You are guaranteed anonymity.”
Dan Kisner, Jalen’s grandfather, posted, “Shawn, I am in for $200, total $350. There are at least two people who know who did this. Let us know.”
Dan Kisner later said the reward had been increased to $450.
Jalen Kisner was interviewed by WOOD-TV Channel 8 and WZZM-TV Channel 13 Thursday afternoon in connection with the incident. He said he would like to see “a change in the way our school district handles racial discrimination.”
Hopkins Schools Superintendent Gary Wood was interviewed on TV as well, but he said the matter would be more effectively handled throughout the community.
Though Hopkins in the last several years has had an increasing number of people of color living in the community and school district, it has a long history of being an all-white rural community, like many others in West Michigan.
PHOTO: The racial graffiti left on Jalen Kisner’s car.
Jalen Kisner was pictured here last February signing his letter of intent to play football at Northwood University.
