Democratic Supporter Says White Woman Called Police On Her For 'Canvassing While Black'

A black woman says she and her husband were canvassing for a Democratic candidate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when they were accosted by an irate white woman screaming about "socialism" and claiming "you don't belong here."

A series of Facebook posts by Dr. Amanda Kemp using the "canvassing while black" hashtag detailed an alleged Sunday run-in she and her husband had with an angry resident of a gated Lancaster County neighborhood. Kemp said their canvassing for Democratic congressional candidate Jess King began appropriately after they informed the neighborhood's entrance kiosk staffer about their intention to visit a voter, allowing the two entry into Bent Creek in Manheim Township. But a testy interaction with resident Elizabeth "Duffy" Johnson allegedly ended with Johnson calling the police on Kemp and her husband.

Kemp wrote that the voter they planned to see was not home and soon they "approached a white woman with gardening shears" after she allegedly called out and asked the canvassing pair, "What are you doing here? You can't do that here."

After explaining they were canvassing on behalf of King, the woman, later identifed as Johnson, allegedly replied, "I hate Jess King. She's trying to take us to socialism. You can't do that here...You don't belong here. How did you get in here? I'm going to call the police. I'm going to take your picture."

After leaving the woman's driveway, Kemp claimed Johnson followed them into the street and began to dial 9-1-1. Kemp and her husband left the neighborhood, but police showed up at their home later that day and asked for an explanation of the incident.

"Duffy" Johnson is a member of the Republican Committee of Lancaster County and has been an active campaigner for King's GOP opponent. Jessica King is facing incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker in Pennsylvania's 11th District in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Johnson's attorney, Edwin Pfursich, rejected Kemp's story in a Tuesday statement, saying the #canvassingwhileblack Facebook posts are misleading.

"This matter is about trespassing," Pfursich wrote in an email. "The volunteers from Jess King's campaign entered private property and became aggressive. They were asked to leave and refused, so the police were notified."

Kemp told WITF.org that "the unequal power we had in that situation was very apparent to me. Canvassing while black refers to all that anxiety I bring to an interaction, combined with having to face people's expressed hostility and outright rage, and her saying, 'You don't belong here.'"

In a Wednesday Facebook post, Kemp said she won't be deterred from supporting King and has "typically had good experiences canvassing" and was going out again this weekend.