BAY ST. LOUIS, MS – A doll that one Waveland mother says is racist was handed to a 12-year-old girl from a float last weekend in Bay St. Louis during a parade.
Nicole Fairconeture said a rider in the Krewe of Nereids handed the doll, which is made of black fabric and dressed in an old fashioned dress, to her daughter on February 16.
The doll also had a Mardi Gras bead wrapped around its neck.
Officials with the Krewe of Nereids parade posted an apology to the krewe’s official Facebook page, explaining that the rider who handed over the “racially offensive” doll was not officially affiliated with the krewe.
“The Krewe of Nereids was shocked to hear of the incident of a racially offensive item being thrown from one of the truck floats which followed the Nereids’ parade on Sunday,” the statement reads. “These floats are not part of, nor in anyway affiliated with Nereids, other than parading on the same day. These floats are independently owned and operated, and the riders on these floats are not members of Nereids. The Nereids organization does not condone or agree with this behavior and has never approved of or supported any offensive conduct in the past, nor will such offensive conduct and racially divisive acts be tolerated or excused now or at any time in the future.”
The Bay St. Louis Police Department and the Waveland Police Department have opened an investigation into the incident.
Police are requesting anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Bay St. Louis Police Department at (228) 467-9222.
