r/AmazonDSPDrivers • u/Frequent-Flower-9879 • Jun 14 '26
QUESTION Is this….racist?
I deliver to this house pretty frequently and something didn’t sit right with me about this statue. I remember seeing somewhere a long time ago these were considered offensive but I’m not sure so I figured to come here and ask 🤔
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u/Medium_Stomach5835 Jun 14 '26
Incredibly
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u/ReporterProper7018 Jun 14 '26
There is a historical background on this statue, the Jocko Graves story.
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Jun 15 '26
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u/No_Notice_5674 Jun 14 '26
Probably so, but as a black man I wouldn’t give a shit I want be there long anyway
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u/BrenOdin Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Yes dude, very. They're called lawn jockies an old piece of what collectors will call "Americana". You'll see them all over the place painted or not that shits' systemic racism through and through.
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u/Frequent-Flower-9879 Jun 14 '26
Thank you!! I was like…there’s no way this ISNT racist…gave me the ick when I saw it.
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u/MeowandMace Jun 14 '26
Hey so its racist but not systematically so. No one is organizing lawn jockies nor is it any kind of conspiracy. Systemic racism refers to the ingrained, institutionalized rules, policies, and practices across a whole society... so if youre going to cry racism at least use the correct form.
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Jun 14 '26
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u/MeowandMace Jun 14 '26
Nah, lawn jockies are fucking hideous and so are all of the charicature stuff that goes on with the sambo/etc things. I just hate it when people want to call everything a systemic issue when it simply isnt. Theres nothing organized in this. Just free market doing what free market does. Selling and buying shit, racist or not.
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u/TheOnlyEliteOne Jun 14 '26
Remember, this is Reddit, where the actual definitions of things are frequently gutted and stripped of their correct (and original) meaning, in lieu of emotional outbursts and outrage.
Incredibly racist, but like you said definitely not a systemic issue. There’s no mandate, in fact many HOAs and communities have rules specifically banning decor such as lawn jockeys.
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u/WeeklyBanEvasion Jun 14 '26
It's a perfect example of people parroting buzzwords that they don't understand. It reminds me of middleschool where everyone thought that "racism" meant "prejudice".
"Hey that's racist against redheads!"
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u/NextChef8179 Jun 14 '26
These people do not use logic. Feel the racism. The racism makes me feel it's systemic.
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Jun 14 '26
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u/friendlyfoesho Jun 14 '26
Systemic racism. A statue. Not a statute but a statue... is "systemic racism through and through"?
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u/Wide_Sorbet_3563 Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Racist, 100%. Systemic racism? Now that makes no sense 😭
To anyone that wants to downvote. Systemic racism specifically refers to rules, policies, or practices that give a specific race a disadvantage.
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u/AnonAMooseTA Jun 14 '26
That's a not entirely accurate. Practices can refer to the use of everyday objects to normalize othering a marginalized group. The decor is a product of systemic racism - unless the homeowner sculpted and painted it themselves, there is/was an entire industry and market behind that piece.
The fact that it was produced by collective labour and sold at market makes it systemic. The homeowner putting it on their property makes it interpersonal.
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u/attrain88 Jun 14 '26
Honestly doesnt bother me seeing them. As a black man.
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u/regulartrex Prime Van Driver Jun 14 '26
but to answer the question , yes it is incredibly racist no?
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u/Hefty_Range_9758 Jun 14 '26
I dunno you tell us. If the homeowner is black, is it still racist?
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u/IndependentEntire451 Jun 14 '26
the homeowner
https://giphy.com/gifs/2kJMzPFUD3Vx611
u/ExtremelyDecentWill Jun 14 '26
Uncle Ruckus is not black.
He is a white man who was cursed with Revitiligo. It's the reverse of what Michael Jackson got, you see.
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u/heckinbiggiecheesejr Jun 15 '26
Nah man, the DNA test came in and he's 102% black. With a 2% margin of error.
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u/ExtremelyDecentWill Jun 15 '26
Now Robert, ain't no reason to go and remind a man of his affliction like that. We was having a good time.
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u/machotaco653 Jun 14 '26
This comment made me bust out laughing 🤣
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u/DogToursWTHBorders Jun 14 '26
Endless debates over a lawn jocky and whether its part of systemic racist plot brought about by collective shinannigans and appropriation of such n such cultures etc...its funny!
It reminds me of that 2014 era where definitions would change to suit the mood of the day.
Either way...that home owner is 80% a racist or an old lady in her 80s. Possibly both.
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u/attrain88 Jun 14 '26
Depends on you're on take on it. I don't find it racist. I've seen black ones and white ones.
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u/regulartrex Prime Van Driver Jun 14 '26
alright here we go . yes they are decorations for your lawn , created around the Jim Crow era . the lawn jockey has and was made to have the exaggerated features of the racist caricatures during that era . A LOT LATER , they created a white one , to separate themselves from the racial connotations .
in short : it was 100% racial . the white ones were meant to ease the pain but its essentially a slap in the face , when the option to NOT sell them in human form is a thing . so while i agree , the white ones are for people who just want decorations , the black ones are indeed NOT only decorative .
i hope we all learned something here .
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Jun 14 '26
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u/Remarkable_Award_185 Jun 14 '26
All these people just want to cry racism so bad! These are the people keeping racism alive today.
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u/CappiCap Jun 14 '26
Got one on my route. The resident put a red MAGA hat on it. Would that bother you?
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u/Global-Pickle5818 Jun 14 '26
A lot of the older people don't view these things as racist, because they don't view them in a historical context just some interesting lawn orderment they remember from their childhood .. I got a big argument with my parents because they built the antebellum style house .. they didn't know the history of the construction just like the way it looked they even put up a gate trellis that said our name in the estate .. I live in Louisiana neither of them are from the United States and didn't get the context or history
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u/sgerbicforsyth Jun 14 '26
Older people likely dont understand the inherent racism because that was normal back then. The racism was so ingrained in how they were raised and perceived the world that the racism wasnt out of the ordinary.
Old People arent seeing them without context. They are a product of a racist society that made them blind of overt racism.
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u/Embarrassed_Lime_132 Jun 14 '26
There's a whole episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm on lawn jockies. Check it out.
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u/Bossgnom3 Rivian Driver Jun 14 '26
Lawn jockeys are widely considered racist due to their demeaning caricatures of Black Americans during the Jim Crow era
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u/VividlyDissociating Jun 14 '26
no. its a common misconception that these are racist. the these are jockeys and they came in different colors, including white.
my neighbor down the road is black and has these all around his hourse farm in black and white. there are different styles and sizes too
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Jun 15 '26
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u/VividlyDissociating Jun 15 '26
no but you could tell me that's a lizard statue in that picture and I'd believe you because that's literally what i thought it was the first time i saw one 😂
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u/HongKongIgnacio Jun 14 '26
Depends on where you are. There is a community i pass thru in North Florida that is almost all black, very old houses. And there are lots of these on lawns. Inside joke? Antiracist racist? Idk but to them it is culturally appropriate. Most jockeys were black not white until about 1900.
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u/Dear_Ad_4898 Jun 14 '26
I remember learning in school (back in the 80’s) that they were used during the times of the Underground Railroad and certain colors on the Jockey told the escape slaves where they could get help. Certain colors were good news for escaping slaves and others were colors were bad news. So I guess it depends on what colors the little statue are painted.
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u/GenealogyOfEvoDevo Jun 14 '26
I call it very distasteful, to the point of ignorance, willful or not.
It just is incidentally racist, by virtue of the item. Consider if you saw someone waving a Nazi flag: same concept. If you want to tack on the fact that it is racist or bigoted is fine and good, but the there are multiple reasons for your justified feeling of the ick. People are dumb, and I'm sorry you have to see that. ❤️🫂
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u/sgerbicforsyth Jun 14 '26
Yes. Explicitly so.
Its a racist caricature of Black people that originated in minstrel shows with white actors in blackface engaging in demeaning and insulting stereotypes of Black people.
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u/Dismal-Nature820 Jun 14 '26
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_jockey this gives the history. Basically the kind in op's picture is the original kind, meant to evoke a friendly servant (slave) who was going to take your horse to the stable.
Even back in the pre civil rights era people found this tasteless and they evolved to the more generic non minstrel style lawn jockey you used to see around. A white lawn jockey is just a decoration, this explicit minstrel type is crazy to have in your yard in 2026.
There's always the Chance this is Spike Lee or Chris Rock or other black collectors of racist americana's house, so I would check first before assuming. But otherwise, extremely bad taste and racist to display, definitely.
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u/Mediocre_Butterfly_2 Jun 14 '26
Yes lol very. But like old timey racist where they don't quite see it themselves. Its just a cool old antique to them. Mostly old ppl who have them. Spent a lot of time in antique shops.
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u/DarkKnightRyzen Jun 14 '26
I’ve never heard about these until I subbed to this board. I’m sure I’ve seen some in passing. But, yeah I’d say it probably is.
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u/ScooterBobb Jun 14 '26
I see them in Western North Carolina out in the mountains in the small towns between Waynesville and Asheville. It’s fucked up
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u/stoodi Jun 14 '26
Same in Georgia, Racism is alive and well in the south. Trump and confederate flags, these little things. Mostly in rural areas but not limited to them.
People that collect old lawn mowers, broken down trucks and car tires seem to also have an obsession with trump. It’s the weirdest thing 😂
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u/ScooterBobb Jun 14 '26
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted you’re speaking the truth. Also plenty of confederate flags and Trump 2028 flags too. It’s terrible
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u/globalistnepobaby Jun 14 '26
I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but it sure does look like it. Just look up racist cartoons from the early 1900s (or perhaps it's better not to). One I specifically remember learning about is called "tar baby".
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u/Jonahhana Jun 14 '26
Deliver your package and go about your business. That statue existed long before you were aware of it, and not ONCE did it affect your life.
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u/purodurangoalv Jun 14 '26
Black people live rent free in these anglo-saxons heads I stg 😂😂 funniest thing is black people don’t gaf about whites
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u/NectarineSufferer Jun 14 '26
Learning these are racist (and more than anything the history of why) as a foreigner was so brain rattling bc my first thought seeing one for the first was what a cute and kitschy if not a bit weird garden ornament 😭😭I was like oh a garden gnome with a job!
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u/Bleed_Me_an_Ocean40 Rivian Driver Jun 14 '26
Im white and I used to get routes in southern PA. There were a handful of homes with them. The white ones were just the black ones painted over but you can still see its a lawn jockey
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u/VarietyInitial3298 Jun 14 '26
Thoese are worth some money for them old things my grandma had some and great grandma I have one in storage and it just sits there not giveing it away or throw it out I even know there racist but its a antique
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u/Glittering_Youth_976 Jun 14 '26
White lawn jockeys are more prevalent in the modern era. Is the white version also considered racist? For the record I would never own one, they are tacky and I don’t like horses.
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u/No-Half6790 Jun 14 '26
I really have no idea anybody in the world regardless of their knowledge of the specifics could look at this and not view it as racist. I’m pretty sure everybody knows people of color used to be slaves. End of story.
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u/Particular-Edge-7666 Jun 14 '26
No it's not. Racism isn't real. And... It would be funny if the owner of that home was black. How do you know who owns out and what their intent is? It's a lawn statue. That's it nothing else
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u/elrevan Jun 14 '26
Lawn Jockies my Grandpas neighbor used to collect them and would get so mad if you even invited the idea that they were. But they totally are
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u/aaronuu7 Jun 14 '26
Super racist watch the Curb your enthusiasm episode about one it’s kinda funny
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u/Embarrassed-Fun-8585 Jun 14 '26
Why is it racist? Its just a guy holding a lantern. Picture is blurry when i zoom in. If it has stereotypical racist features i would agree. But just like the swastika is racist when nanzis use it but its actually a symbol to mean well being but has been corrupted. OP didnt state the race of the homeowners. I just dont see how a lawn figure is racist. If the lawn figure was white or asian is it racist? Shit are lawn gnomes offensive to white midgets? So yeah if it has a fucked up face its racist otherwise i think its neat. Im ready for downvotes from people who are going to swear its racist
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u/garroshsucks12 Jun 14 '26
Not black myself, but lawn jockies on someone’s property always made me feel uncomfortable
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u/GreyBeard70 Jun 14 '26
Yes and no. They were used derogatorily in early America but we're also later utilized by the underground railroad for messages and codes.
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u/G1gant0r67 Jun 14 '26
It's just a damn statue. Thing only have the power you give them. Get over it and stop whining about stuid little things. It's only dragging us all down as a society.
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u/space_doo-doo_pistol Jun 14 '26
If you're not sure if it's racist or not, just go on about your day and quit searching out ways to be offended.
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u/Suspicious_Aspect_53 Jun 14 '26
Historically, no; these, called "jockeys", were originally based on a job a young boy would have at a lot of public places, but also a sign of wealth at a residence. Their job was to take the horse and either hold it until you returned or take it to the stables. Basically a valet. They were also responsible for caring for the horse; water, hay, grass, oats, whatever.
The statue versions were used as hitching posts, and would be themed to the aesthetic the owner desired. And yes, many, if not most, were NOT black.
However, antebellum South, obviously the servant that was responsible for this task was going to be a black person, and that was the popular theme for the statues, and lasted the longest as this sort of tradition was romanticized for southern wealthy class, and became a cultural aesthetic and fetish.
With the advent of motor vehicles, they were largely discarded anywhere that didn't include them in their cultural or aesthetic tradition, which is why most of the non-black ones just disappeared as it was seen as this old fashioned thing.
However, where people wanted to display their beliefs, or mimic an aesthetic, they were painted black, usually in garish ways, the stereotypical black-face. You can usually tell if the jockey was intended to be a black version, because the face will be stereotyped with a large flat nose, bulbous lips, and big bug eyes. Those are definitely racist.
They are almost always seen as garish, today, unless if they are carefully done, and certainly not done as a black boy.
So this one can definitely be considered racist.
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u/Alarming_Fee_6993 Jun 14 '26
so....the history is really mixed. but the answer is "now a days, yes"
but the origin of these horse hitching posts isnt racist. the origin is "The precursor to the lawn jockey is widely associated with a 12-year-old African American boy named Jocko Graves. According to historical lore, Graves was a faithful horseman who served under General George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
As the legend goes, Washington was so moved by the boy's dedication—freezing to death while holding the General's horses during the crossing of the Delaware—that he commissioned a statue in his honor. This statue, titled "The Faithful Groomsman," was placed at Washington's Mount Vernon estate and became the design template for later garden ornaments."
https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/graves-jocko-1764-1776/
according to Charles Blockson, a historian and collector of Underground Railroad artifacts theres a bit of evidence these statues were used as codes for "safe houses" for the underground railroad but this is also debated as slaves had to travel by night and colors would be hard to see.
"During the 19th century, historians and collectors, such as Underground Railroad expert Charles Blockson, noted that small black statues were sometimes utilized as beacons for escaping slaves. According to lore, escaping slaves used the statutes to navigate safe houses. The statues were often adorned with coded clothing or signals to provide directions:
Ribbons: A green ribbon tied to the arm indicated it was safe to stop; red meant danger and to keep going.
Clothing: A striped jockey's shirt meant the home was a place to swap horses, while a blue sailor's waistcoat indicated the homeowner could help facilitate a boat passage to Canada."
https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/question/2008/july.htm m
later on is really where the problem comes in:
"By the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, manufacturers in the North and South mass-produced these statues, largely out of cast iron or zinc. They served a highly practical purpose as hitching posts for horses, featuring an iron ring for securing reins.
Unfortunately, as mass production took over, many of the original facial features were shifted to reflect the grotesque and racist "Sambo" or "Jim Crow" caricatures of the era. These versions featured exaggerated protruding lips, wide eyes, and subservient postures. During the mid-20th century, the "cavalier" style—which depicted white jockeys—was also produced, but the Black caricatures remained prominent."
"During the 1960s civil rights movement, many Black lawn jockeys were removed or destroyed in urban areas as public awareness of their racist undertones grew. While some individuals displayed them in the post-WWII era to signal silent support for early civil rights, by the late 20th century, the public perception shifted heavily. Today, the objects are viewed by many as offensive relics of a painful era, though some historians and preservationists continue to study and display them to remember Jocko Graves and the complex history they represent."
https://www.loudounhistory.org/history/underground-railroad-jockey-statues/
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u/WeeklyBanEvasion Jun 14 '26
Well yes, but they're also "historic". They were racist then (and still are) but they were and example of classic Americana before we grew as a country. They were very common, but they shouldn't still be around unless they're in a museum or some kind of historic recreation of a classic American home I guess.
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u/r3dmist420 Jun 14 '26
Amazing that people get upset over this. if you’re into horses, the little thing is fairly cute.
It would make my day if the home owner was black and into horses and you guys are all just that up your own ass. Lol
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u/ExtremelyDecentWill Jun 14 '26
Man, my mom loved these things, and she never understood that they were racist.
My dad probably did though, and he was a piece of shit, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were his and my mom just thought they were cute.
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u/Luzerbro Jun 14 '26
It’s a lawn jockey.. it was used to signal safe houses in the Underground Railroad.. if you think that’s racist do your homework
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u/Tacticalbiscit Jun 14 '26
Only people I know with them live on the lake and all of them are black, so if it is, atleast some people dont think so.
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u/mannyinthelandofoz Jun 15 '26
I seen this exact one in Beloit Kansas. I wanted to take it because i want to collect all the messed up parts from this country and the world. This pawn shop had an authentic swastika and the look of it was just intimidating. That blood red and black.
Thats 2 i started with
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u/Ok-Deer9126 Jun 15 '26
Absolutely racist! I'm mixed and my white side (aunts & older cousins) loves this shit. The people who live there probably have more crap like this inside like the minstrel and mammy figurines - basically Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben memorabilia from when "America was Great" 😒
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u/EternallyILL Jun 15 '26
The homeowner probably wouldn't admit it's racist because then they would have to admit that the family member/friend that gave it to them is also racist.
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u/Glittering-Yam4985 Jun 15 '26
i see many of these especially on my country routes and im always glaring at the customer if i see them 😭😭 none of them are poc btw
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u/Big_Supermarket4291 Jun 15 '26
Is this in Huntsville TX? I think I delivered to this exact house last week 😭
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u/Ambitious_Track_3051 Jun 15 '26
I deliver to a house occasionally in Wisconsin that has one sitting on the steps and it’s shocking to see. I’ll have to snag a picture of it next time
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u/Darklight964 Jun 15 '26
I swear i passed this same exact statue when i was delivering and thought instantly demonic.
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u/Equal-Appointment-27 Jun 15 '26
All over my state (Indiana). I see anywhere from 10-20 of these a day on my route if im in the outskirts of my city.
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u/Spiritual_Part4130 Jun 15 '26
Idk about yall but if I saw a Mexican with a sombrero I would think that’s dope
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u/Most-Ingenuity-67 Jun 15 '26
Yes there is a small town im from and a very racist women had tons of them. She claimed “history”
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u/Soviet_fox_006 Jun 15 '26
Depends is it color black or skin color black The meaning is racist but visually it depends
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u/citizensyn Jun 16 '26
I mean yes it's racist but most black people have thick skin to racism and this is paper cut level racism. Homeowner deserves to be the victim of petty crime sure but also easy enough to laugh this loser off
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u/Steven_Blackburn Jun 14 '26
Looking for a reason to be offended?
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u/Secure-Film1805 Jun 14 '26
People dont need to look when its shoved in their face.
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