South Jersey Resident Apologizes To Community After Halloween Display Depicting Man Hanging From Noose Sparked Controversy
SALEM COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- A New Jersey homeowner publicly apologized to his community at an NAACP meeting in Salem County for a Halloween display. The apology comes a week after his disturbing Halloween decoration of a dummy hanging from a noose sparked a controversy.
A picture of the display circulated all over social media, and it's a Halloween display the creator now regrets. Ryan McDonald says he didn't mean to offend anyone.
"Two weeks ago in Salem County, we had a noose hanging decoration out in Mannington," Salem County NAACP President Nelson Carney Jr. said.
It was a Salem County NAACP meeting unlike any other.
Residents gathered in the house of God to hear the reasoning behind McDonald's Halloween decoration that displayed a mannequin hanging from a noose in his front yard.
"I constructed a gallows for a Halloween display that we were going to display for Halloween and I did not expect it to be impacted this negatively," says McDonald.
Not only did it impact the community, but the police also showed up to McDonald's front door asking him to take it down.
After realizing the effect the hangman's prop had on the community, McDonald removed the display and came to Thursday's NAACP meeting to publicly apologize. His apology was accepted by most, but one member took it a step further.
"I'm personally willing to pay for your first year of being a part of the NAACP, if you will accept it," the member offered.
"Absolutely," McDonald responded.
The Salem County community is choosing forgiveness and is hopeful this is an incident they can move on from.
McDonald says he will continue to decorate for Halloween but he won't be displaying the hangman's prop again.
