An Alabama Halloween enthusiast was labeled "racist" after decorating his front yard with what appeared to be an effigy of a black man hanging from a tree.
Marc Wolfe was swamped with social media abuse after a photo was shared of the dummy hanging from a tree by a noose. His yard also featured tombstones, skeletons, spiderwebs and limbs. The post, which was uploaded to Facebook by Alexus Cumbie, has now been shared nearly 8,000 times.
"Trigger warning: fake display of a lynching," Cumbie wrote. "A friend of mine was driving through Homewood, Alabama today (October 6) and witnessed a sickening display in the front lawn of a home. The owner of this display has refused to take this down. I'm encouraging everyone to share this post until Birmingham news outlets cover this. I'm not encouraging violence nor harassment on this homeowner. Let's not meet bigotry at eye level but also let's publicly condemn acts of racism in our beloved neighborhoods."
The post has received more than 1,500 comments, most of which are negative towards Wolfe. "This person should be charged with trying to start or incite a riot," one person said. "This is racism at its best. People in the neighbor(hood) should be on guard."
Another person wrote: "You gotta be a sick person to make a mockery out of such a heinous act that took so many innocent lives due to bigotry and ignorance."
WBRC reached out to Wolfe to hear his side of the story. He has now taken the decoration down and apologized. "We put it out so people can walk up and say it's scary or get scared by a jumping spider," Wolfe said. "You know, if you're having fun, you're not hurting anybody."
Wolfe said he did not view the dummy as a black man, but as a burned white man. He hung the decorations with his 11-year-old son. "Do I see it that way [racially offensive] now? Sure. If other people see it that way, then I'll see it that way. I don't see it that way, but I can respect that people see it that way. In hindsight, would I have hung it what I know now? No."
Their son was reportedly playing in the front yard when someone pulled over to take photos. After complaining about the decoration, the 11-year-old removed it from the tree and laid it next to a coffin display.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Hetherington is a staff reporter for Newsweek covering technology.
Based in London, James previously covered technology for International Business Times ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
