It goes without saying that Mardi Gras is a special time of year in New Orleans when the city gathers to celebrate one of the most historic cultural events in America. Sadly, this year’s festivities took a dark turn when a young Black girl experienced overt racism for the first time.
According to NOLA, Railyn Lee was celebrating her 7th birthday with her family on Sunday when she caught a Black doll with Mardi Gras beads tied around its neck in a noose-like fashion. The racist effigy was thrown from a parade float called “Crack Pipe” that was operated by Krewe of Tucks, an irreverent Mardi Gras group known for satire, political parody, and over-the-top behavior. The girl’s father, George Lee, didn’t realize what the doll was until taking inventory of the wares they had collected throughout the day.
“Initially, I was pretty heartbroken,” he said.
“Her innocence had to be taken from her. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t have it. And that’s not a conversation to be having with a 7-year-old.”
A social media post showing the doll in question sparked outrage and demands for accountability.
Shayna Lee, Railyn’s mother, also released a statement speaking to her anger and sadness that her child was accosted in this way on her birthday.
The righteous indignation became so loud that the city’s mayor, Helena Moreno, responded and invited the family to watch another parade with her.
Community leaders and civil rights activists representing SCLC, NAACP, ACORN, and National Action Now gathered publicly to demand consequences for Krewe of Tucks.
“We want accountability,” said Janet Tobias of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “We want the krewe to pay a $5,000 fine. We also want to meet with that organization (the Krewe of Tucks) and we want them to be on probation.”
WWLTV reports that Krewe of Trucks confirmed that it fired two of its crew members over the incident.
“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,” the krewe said in the statement.
“We also recognize that racism is not a thing of the past but continues to plague our community and our country. It is very important that any racist gesture or sentiment be addressed swiftly.”
The krewe added that it is reaching out to New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, Council President JP Morrell, and Attorney General Liz Murrill to further discuss the matter.
We will continue to monitor this story for updates.
