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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, NOV. 3, 2019
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
Residents rallied on Saturday
to demand the closure
of a Bedford-Stuyvesant
ceramics studio after
the nonprofi t’s co-director
placed Halloween decorations
that looked like black
children hanging from
nooses in her home last
week.
The co-director, Dany
Rose, has since quit her
position with Artshack
Brooklyn amid the public
uproar, but the public outcry
continues.
“All I know is they have
got to go,” said Reverend
Kirsten John Foy, found
of the Arc of Justice, to a
crowd of about 50 protesters
outside of Artshack at
1131 Bedford Ave.
Rose fi rst received pushback
for her decorations on
Oct. 23, when a Facebook
post of the brown paper
dolls hanging from white
string went viral. Rose removed
the decorations,
which were inspired by the
horror movie “Annabelle,”
after receiving concerned
phone calls from parents
of students from nearby PS
11.
“I grabbed my chest, I
couldn’t believe it,” said
Bed-Stuy resident Marilyn
Burns, when her granddaughter
showed her images
of the decorations online.
The protest took place a
day after Rose sent a short
letter of resignation to the
studio’s board of directors.
But to Foy, Artshack
appeared more concerned
about Rose’s well-being,
rather than the community,
in allowing her to resign
rather than not immediately
fi ring her. Foy
insisted that Artshack do
more to demonstrate that
the action was not in line
with its belief system.
“Rose is the tip of the
iceberg, now we are dealing
with the other 90 percent
of the iceberg that we
can’t see because it’s submerged,”
said Foy.
The protesters said the
fi ght was far from over, and
that there would be a further
call for action in the
weeks ahead. The Arc of
Justice announced on its
Instagram account that it
would launch a boycott of
Artshack at all of its locations,
as well as an educational
program.
Founding Director of
Artshack Brooklyn, McKendree
Key, said in a statement
on Artshack’s website
that the organization
will “address the systemic
racism that inherently pervades
white-owned businesses
in historically black
neighborhoods.”
“Since the moment we
found out about the racist
Halloween decorations, I,
Advocates rallied to demand nonprofi t ceramics studio Artshake close over a racist Halloween display.
Photo by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
and dedicated board members,
advisors and staff
have been working around
the clock to move forward
with a plan for restorative
justice,” Key wrote, adding
that the nonprofi t is working
with community development
organization called
The Human Root.
“I believe in this work
and I am humbled and
heartened by the opportunity
to better serve Bed-
Stuy,” Key added.
Activists demand Bed-Stuy studio
close over racist Halloween display
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