The girl attended the parade on her birthday, according to her family
City of New Orleans
NEED TO KNOW
- Parents of a 7-year-old girl are speaking out following an incident that occurred during a parade in New Orleans on Feb. 14
- Images and footage from the event appeared to show Black Barbie-like dolls hanging by the neck on strands of beads, which are commonly tossed during Mardi Gras
- The Krewe of Tucks said they “quickly” identified the riders involved, and that their membership has been “swiftly and permanently terminated”
Parents of a 7-year-old girl are speaking out after an incident involving Black dolls during a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, which the mayor called "deeply offensive" and "unacceptable."
The girl and her family were attending a Krewe of Tucks parade on Saturday, Feb. 14, according to WWL, NBC affiliate WDSU and The Times-Picayune. Images and footage from the event that circulated online appeared to show Black Barbie-like dolls hanging by the neck on strands of beads, which are commonly tossed during Mardi Gras celebrations.
At one point, her mom told WWL that the girl was thrown one of the dolls — and she didn't initially understand the situation.
“It really just hurt that her innocence was taken away because I had to expose her to a darker side of racism and tell her why she wasn’t allowed to play with it,” mom Shayna Lee told CBS affiliate WWL over the weekend.
"She didn’t understand why she couldn’t have it. And that’s not a conversation to be having with a 7-year-old," dad George Lee added in a separate interview with The Times-Picayune.
In a statement addressing the incident, the Krewe of Tucks acknowledged that "given the history of racism in the country, state, city and Mardi Gras itself, we know that the image of beads tied around the neck of a Black doll is evocative of painful history."
"We also recognize that racism is not a thing of the past but continues to plague our community and our country," they continued. "It is very important that any racist gesture or sentiment be addressed swiftly."
They went on to say that they "quickly" identified the riders involved — and that "their membership…has been swiftly and permanently terminated."
The organization went on to say that before the parade, about 30 White dolls and 30 Black dolls were purchased “for the purpose of throwing them to young children along the parade route" — and that although putting beads around toys to help facilitate throws is "typical," they hope an internal investigation will "shed light on any practices…that might facilitate ill-intentioned actions."
“Our investigation continues, and as we gather more information, we will consider taking additional action,” they continued.
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The organization was not alone in publicly condemning what happened.
“Let me be clear: the display is deeply offensive, unacceptable, and has no place in our city," New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno wrote on social media. "New Orleans is built on respect, diversity, and inclusion and actions that seek to demean or intimidate any member of our community violate the very spirit of who we are.”
“Our celebrations, particularly those where our children and families attend, should be spaces of joy and unity, not exposure to hateful or harmful imagery,” Moreno continued.
The city went on to welcome the Lee family to watch the festivities on Sunday, Feb. 15.
"Today, the Mayor and the New Orleans City Council welcomed a family who caught a racist throw during yesterday’s Tucks parade to watch the festivities from Gallier Hall," read a social media post that included several photos of the family.
"The mayor and council wanted to ensure that the visiting family sees the true spirit of New Orleans, a city rooted in love, respect, and inclusion," their post read. "The hateful symbolism of that throw does not represent who we are!"
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