Who is Shiloh Hendrix? Minnesota mum in viral slur video targeting black child raises over $655k despite backlash
An American woman caught on video using a racial slur against a five-year-old Black child has raised more than $655,000 in online donations, sparking backlash as she nears her $1 million goal.
Shiloh Hendrix, identified in a now-viral video taken at Soldiers Field Memorial Park, in Rochester, Minnesota is seen holding her toddler while being confronted by a man who accuses her of calling a young Black boy the N-word. Rather than deny the accusation, Hendrix responds, “If that’s what he’s gonna act like,” before repeating the slur toward the man filming her and making an obscene gesture.
The confrontation reportedly began when Hendrix accused the boy of taking a toy from her son’s diaper bag. When asked by the man filming, “So that gives you the right to call the child, 5-years-old, a n*****?” Hendrix does not back down, leading to a tense exchange where she repeated the word.
After the video went viral, Hendrix launched a fundraising campaign titled “Help Me Protect My Family” on GiveSendGo, that brands itself as the "#1 Free Christian Crowdfunding Site," which has previously come under scrutiny for hosting fundraising efforts for figures banned from mainstream platforms, including Capitol riot defendants, far-right organisers, and individuals accused of hate crimes.
She wrote on the page: “My SSN (security social number) has been leaked. My address, and phone number have been given out freely. My family members are being attacked,” she wrote. “We have been threatened to the extreme by people online... I fear that we must relocate.”
Despite the nature of the video, Hendrix’s campaign has gained significant traction, with over $655,000 raised at the time of writing—closing in on her $1 million goal.
The fundraising effort has sparked outrage across social media. “Woman calls five-year-old Black boy the N-word several times. Video goes viral. Woman cries she’s the victim. So far $500,000 is raised for woman. What Shiloh Hendrix has shown us is racists stick together and are happy to fund hateful people,” wrote journalist Lorraine King on X.
The legal advocacy group African, Caribbean and Asian Lawyers For Justice added: “A white woman called a 5-year-old Black autistic boy a n*****. White America handed her nearly $500k and a standing ovation. This isn’t just racism—it’s a reward system for white supremacy.”
In an update posted May 2, she wrote: “I’ve never felt so scared, yet reassured in my life... It’s such a strange feeling to be living in a blissful dream and a nightmare simultaneously.” She thanked donors for their “overwhelming support,” adding that her family is still taking “proper procedures” to stay safe.
The Rochester Police Department has confirmed an active investigation into the incident.
In response to Hendrix's fundraiser, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP initiated its own crowdfunding campaign to support the child and his family, raising over $341,000.