Brooklyn

'Sorry Doesn't Cover That': Crowd Protests ‘Racially Offensive' Halloween Display

The images, showing several brown children hanging from nooses, have been taken down

What to Know

  • A Halloween display caught the attention of a Brooklyn community this week
  • The images, showing several brown children hanging from nooses, were taken down after people complained on social media
  • Crowds have gathered outside the residence and homeowner's workplace several times this week

A Halloween display caught the attention of a Brooklyn community this week when a homeowner posted pictures of their neighbor’s home decorated with images of children hanging by nooses.

The images, showing several brown children hanging from nooses, were taken down from the Clinton Hill home after people complained on social media. 

Homeowner Dany Rose apologized in a post on Facebook that read in part, "The images were based on the horror movie Annabelle, but because they were made of brown kraft paper they were deepy racially offensive."

"I understand that ignorance is no excuse and apologies are not enough, but nonetheless I want to apologize sincerely to my neighbors and community," the post continues. 

A crowd of protestors gathered outside of Artshack, an art studio Rose has since resigned from, to voice their outrage of the display they call racist. 

"How do you ask this community why they're out here defending themselves? What's wrong is the thing that they're defending against," Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said Saturday. 

"Sorry doesn't cover that. The best of intentions gets our folks killed," Williams added.

Images of what seemed to be black children hanging by nooses were displayed in a Clinton Hill window across the street from a school. The owner said it was a big unintended mistake, but some are still skeptical. NBC New York’s Ida Siegal reports.

Rose, whose house sits across the street from P.S. 11, said she's meeting with local leaders and educators to try and find "the best way to promote racial justice."

Several parents who have students at the school expressed their dismay that their kids could see the display from across the street.

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