A Halloween parade has caused outrage in Pittsburgh after a Trump float depicted Kamala Harris, America’s first Black vice president, in chains.
“This appalling portrayal goes beyond the realm of Halloween satire or free expression,” Daylon A. Davis, the president of NAACP Pittsburgh, said in a statement according to CBS News. “It is a harmful symbol that evokes a painful history of violence, oppression and racism that Black and brown communities have long endured here in America.”
The Halloween event in question displayed a golf cart used as a parade float adorned with American flags, Donald Trump campaign signs and a fake rifle. Participants of the float depicted the Republican presidential nominee (someone wearing a Donald Trump mask) and U.S. Secret Service agents. Behind them, a woman depicting Harris — Trump’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 presidential election — is seen walking behind the float while her wrists are tied to the vehicle.
Halloween parade southeast of Pittsburgh showing people with guns who have a person made up to be Kamala Harris in chains.
— Jim Drumheller☮️ 🐾 (@JimDrumheller) November 1, 2024
Trump has divided a nation with a hate that has penetrated deep into the soul of America. pic.twitter.com/qtjjqSAfMh
After video and images of the political Halloween float circulated on the internet, the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, which has sponsored the parade for over 70 years, issued an apology on Facebook for the “offensive” float.
“We do not share in the values represented by those participants, and we understand how it may have hurt or offended members of our community,” said the fire department. “We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that our future events celebrate the diversity and spirit of our community in a positive way.”
Davis of the local NAACP chapter urged the event organizers and local leaders to “implement clearer guidelines to prevent this type of hateful and hurtful display from occurring in the future.”
The civil rights leader added, “We also ask that they offer an apology and make a public commitment to anti-racist values that affirm the dignity and equality of all people.”
Mount Pleasant Mayor Diane Bailey said she was “appalled, angered [and] upset” over the portrayal of Vice President Harris.
“This does not belong in this parade or in this town,” said Bailey.
The mayor said previously the fire department did not have to take applications to participate in the Halloween parade, but moving forward, it would be up to the department to determine whether or how they vet who participates in the future.
Since Kamala Harris emerged as the Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 contest against Trump, the presidential election has been marred by racist and sexist attacks on Harris.
Trump himself questioned the legitimacy of her Black racial identity, called her “lazy” and made the claim that Harris has a “low IQ.” Other Republican leaders have made the racist claim that Harris was only vice president as a “DEI” hire, suggesting she was selected as Biden’s running mate because she was a woman and person of color.
Harris, who holds a law degree, has served as the district attorney in San Francisco, the attorney general in the state of California, a U.S. senator and now, vice president. If elected on Tuesday, Nov. 5, she will become the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first South Asian to be president of the United States.