The parents of a seven-year-old girl have voiced their concerns after discovering a ‘deeply offensive’ Black doll at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.
The incident at the Krewe of Tucks parade on Saturday, February 14, quickly sparked outrage online. Images and videos showed a Black Barbie-style doll hanging from a float with beads around its neck, leading to widespread condemnation.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill described the scene as a ‘disgusting, vulgar, racist image’ and pledged to identify those responsible for the offensive display.
The situation was particularly distressing because a seven-year-old girl received one of these dolls on her birthday. Her parents then faced the challenging task of explaining why the doll was inappropriate for her to play with.
In an interview with WWL, the girl’s mother expressed her pain: “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.”
The girl’s father, George Lee, also shared his perspective with The Times-Picayune, stating: “She didn’t understand why she couldn’t have it. And that’s not a conversation to be having with a seven-year-old.”
Upon learning of the incident, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno invited the family to join her at Gallier Hall for other parades. Despite this effort, the family decided to leave Mardi Gras early.
George revealed that the parade organizers, Krewe of Tucks, had not reached out to offer an apology to his family.
Mayor Moreno issued a strong statement on social media condemning the incident: “Let me be clear: the display is deeply offensive, unacceptable, and has no place in our city.
“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.”
She added: “Our celebrations, particularly those where our children and families attend, should be spaces of joy and unity, not exposure to hateful or harmful imagery.”
The Krewe of Tucks has since apologized, acknowledging the need to address any racist gesture or sentiment immediately.
In their statement, they said: “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.”
The individuals responsible for the incident have been identified, and their membership has been permanently terminated.
Despite these actions, many are calling for further consequences. Janet Tobias of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference has proposed a $5,000 fine and probation for Krewe of Tucks.
“We want accountability,” she stated.