A zoo display, featuring fake ghosts with colored faces prompts complaints of racism.
The St. Louis zoo is under some heat following a ghost display, which was put up for Halloween. Several citizens complained that the hanging ghosts resembled ‘lynching'.
Approximately 10 fake ghosts were left hanging from trees and sported black faces.
A complaint was issued when a man saw the photos on the zoo's Facebook page. The disgruntled male stated “it was like a complete outrage to me, it was very hurtful . The picture appeared to be black people hanging from a rope. It's impossible that you could not see that that's racist.”
The zoo issued an apology on their Facebook page, claiming that no offense was meant in the exhibit.
An official at the zoo describes the reasoning behind the ghosts’ appearance by stating “The faces are black so that at night the lights inside the faces would be the only thing that you see.”
The zoo was not responsible for the installation, as an outside company made and put up the decorations. However, amidst the protests, the display was taken down.
