Defiant Grandma Refuses to Remove 'Colored Drape' Even After Eviction Threat – But It’s Really Not What You Think

A grandmother in Happy Valley, Ore., is being threatened with eviction if she refuses to take down the “colored drape” from her window. She’s shown no signs of backing down.

It’s not that Elodia Royce feels the “drape” pulls the room together or is determined to make a statement in home decor. In fact, it’s not a “drape” at all — it’s an American flag.

Elodia Royce/Facebook

Royce told WCNC-TV that she has always displayed the U.S. flag to honor her family members and friends serving in the military. Even though she claims the apartment manager of the Happy Valley complex approved the flag when she moved in nearly 6 years ago, the landlord is now demanding it be taken down.

Last week, she received an official notice telling her that “all colored drapes need to be removed from the windows.” The notice says her flag must be taken down by Monday or she will face possible eviction.

“But our flag is not a drape,” Royce said.

There are no mentions of American flags in her lease agreement, according to a copy of the agreement reportedly provided to KGW-TV. The grandmother has been displaying the flag for almost 6 years.

Royce’s daughter and grandson also live in the Happy Valley complex. When she told her grandson that she may have to move, he started crying. Her daughter is vowing to move out as well if her mother is evicted.