7-year-old catches Black doll with beads tied like a noose at Mardi Gras parade, prompting outrage

The incident turned a birthday celebration into a painful lesson about racist violence, drawing condemnation from city leaders and state officials.

What was supposed to be a joyful seventh birthday ended with a lesson no parent wants to teach too soon.

Shayna Lee and her family were celebrating at the Krewe of Tucks parade in New Orleans when her daughter excitedly caught what she thought was a Barbie doll tossed from a float. But the excitement quickly turned to confusion, then heartbreak.

The doll was Black. Around its neck hung a string of beads.

For many, the image immediately calls to mind one of the most violent chapters in American history, when Black bodies were terrorized and lynched as a form of racial intimidation. Lee said she was stunned.

“At first I was actually in shock. I was because I was like… there is no way, out of all things that somebody could have thrown off of a float,” Lee told WWL-TV. “This… And it’s Black History Month. I’m not understanding how I, of all people or my family, was the chosen one to get this doll. And I was very upset because we have been teaching my daughter about, you know, Black history and racism and things like that.”

Instead of simply celebrating Mardi Gras and a birthday, Lee found herself explaining what it symbolized.

“It really just hurt that her innocence was taken away because I had to expose her to a darker side of racism and tell her why she wasn’t allowed to play with it,” Lee said. “And she was asking to keep the doll.”

The incident quickly drew condemnation from city and state officials.

Helena Moreno called the display “deeply offensive, unacceptable, and has no place in our city.”

“New Orleans is built on respect, diversity, and inclusion, and actions that seek to demean or intimidate any member of our community violate the very spirit of who we are,” Moreno said. She added that she and JP Morrell contacted Krewe of Tucks leadership to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.

Morrell described the doll as a “disturbing effigy meant to harm and intimidate families and children.”

State Representative Alonzo L. Knox said residents reached out with “justified disgust” and confirmed he is working with Liz Murrill, the governor and State Police to hold those responsible accountable.

“The people, especially the children, along that parade route did not deserve to be exposed to images of violence and hate, particularly against women,” Knox said. “It totally lacked sensitivity… and if anyone cannot see how this is offensive, they should check themselves.”

Murrill said she has opened an investigation.

“I have seen photos and reports of a disgusting, vulgar, racist image displayed on a float in the Tucks parade,” she said. “This conduct is absolutely abhorrent and entirely unacceptable.”

The Krewe of Tucks said it is investigating the incident and that anyone responsible will not be allowed to participate in future parades.

In a show of support, the day after the parade, the mayor and City Council welcomed Lee and her family to watch the festivities from Gallier Hall.

Lee said her family will continue to celebrate Mardi Gras, a cultural cornerstone of the city, but they will be more cautious.

“It’s not going to keep us from going out and having a good time,” she said. “But we’re definitely going to be more cautious about the throws that we get from the parades.”

For Lee, though, accountability matters most.

“At the least a fine… He definitely needs to get held accountable,” she said. “If it’s up to me, he needs to apologize, absolutely apologize, because that was disgraceful. For you to actually throw it out, it was even worse.”

What began as a birthday celebration became a reminder that even in spaces meant for joy, Black families are sometimes forced to navigate the weight of history in real time.