GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Anisha Nixon was excited to move to the south west side of Grand Rapids.
"I never really stayed on the west side before but, like, I kind of always heard, like, good things about it," says Nixon.
One day after she officially moved in, a letter was in her mailbox.
"I just thought it was a normal, like, welcoming letter from one of my neighbors," she says.
But as she began to read, the feeling began to change.
"It says we will call protective services, 911, 311, Section 8, if needed. We will not play any games with you on that. Remember that please," says Nixon.
The initial excitement Nixon had to move into her new neighborhood, quickly fading the further she read.
"My heart just dropped," she says.
The letter includes a list of rules for the neighborhood, ranging from the basic, like trash removal, to telling her she wasn't allowed to interact with her neighbors.
"Number 7," reads Nixon. "Your neighbors want to be left alone. They are not your friends or your family."
As a social person, she was disheartened.
"Just for me not to even have that opportunity, or to be told that I can't do that, that's what kind of hurt a lot," says Nixon.
Multiple times throughout the letter, as well, threats to call police or even child protective services were made.
"The police will be called ASAP," reads Nixon. "Life is too short."
Initially, she thought it came from the neighborhood association because the envelope was labeled John Ball Area Neighbors.
JBAN sent this statement to 13 ON YOUR SIDE, condemning the letter and its content:
It has been brought to our attention that a letter has been sent to one of our neighbors purportedly welcoming them to the neighborhood, inappropriate and anything but welcoming.
It has been suggested that the letter was sent by JBAN. We can assure everyone that the letter did not come from the John Ball Area Neighbors or anyone on its behalf.
We will be sharing the letter with the appropriate agency to determine from where it originated.
We have attempted to reach out to the neighbor to whom it was sent to let them know the letter was not sent by JBAN, and that we disavow its contents.
All new neighbors are welcome to the West Side.
Nixon says as a single Black mom, she feels unfairly stereotyped.
"The way I look, that can be the only thing I was judged by," she says.
However, she now feels encouraged by the positive feedback she's received after posting the letter to social media.
"My first initial thought was to run, to go, to leave," says Nixon. "But all the encouragement I got from other neighbors and all the support I've received kind of, like, makes me want to stay now."
And the excitement of introducing her true self is starting to return.
"Come meet me and actually get to know the person I actually am," she says.
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