It’s goes without saying that Mardi Gras 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 years festivities took. A dark turn when a young Black girl experienced overt racism is 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.”
George Lee says that at this time, no one from Tucks has contact him or his family to apologize or offer an explanation. We will continue to monitor this story for updates.
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