Zoo removes Halloween decorations following complaints that labe - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Zoo removes Halloween decorations following complaints that label display as racist

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(Facebook / St. Louis Zoo) (Facebook / St. Louis Zoo)
ST LOUIS -

The St. Louis Zoo has removed a Halloween display featuring ghosts hanging from trees after complaints claiming the decorations were racist.

The displays, a part of the Zoo's annual 'Boo and the Zoo' event, show life size ghostly figures with black faces.

Some complaints compare the ghosts hanging from ropes to scene of African-Americans being lynched.

Wyndel Hill, St. Louis Zoo Vice President for Internal Affairs, told Fox station KTVI that, 'The faces are black so that at night the lights inside the faces would be the only thing that you see.'

'I don't know that it looks derogatory towards anyone, by the same token however, if someone is offended by it, it touches our sensibilities and we'll remove it,' he continued.

According to KTVI, half of the Zoo's Facebook comments were positive and half were negative regarding the decorations.

Online:

http://www.stlzoo.org/

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