Letter: South Lake Tahoe group concerned about black doll found hanging from power line

We, community members of South Lake Tahoe, express our deep concern regarding the recent incident of a black doll found hanging from a power line on June 23.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement has gained both national and international support following the murder of George Floyd by police officers, from individuals with various backgrounds and identities. Members of this community have come together in support of BLM through different engagements including community events at Lakeview Commons to regular runs to honor Ahmaud Arbery (a Black man who was hunted and killed by white supremacists in February).

As we continue to raise awareness and drive conversations around the prevalence of systemic racism in South Lake Tahoe, we want to address how the black doll found hanging is representative of this. Some comments mention how this is an isolated event and that the nature of it is innocent and juvenile.

We reject this assertion and instead see this as a response to the growing support of Black Lives Matter. The history of Black individuals being lynched in this country was a tactic of White supremacy in order to instill fear and terror into Black communities. Images of Black bodies hanging are symbolic of this history and to argue a Black doll hanging as a “prank” is both disrespectful and dismissive of the violence Black communities have endured.

We demand a full investigation be made into this incident and that the police make a public statement condemning this behavior.

- By Joemae Enriquez Santos on behalf of #iRunWithMaud - South Lake Tahoe