Huntington leaders respond to KKK costume ride
Officials in Huntington, Indiana, issued formal statements condemning a viral Halloween display, while a local activist proposed a meeting with the riders.
By Beatriz Bailey ·
A local community leader in Huntington, Indiana, proposed a face-to-face meeting with the couple behind a controversial Halloween display on Tuesday, seeking to bridge a divide after images of the pair in Ku Klux Klan attire circulated online.
Roderick Parker, founder of Big Hearts Community Projects, extended the invitation to the woman and her boyfriend. Parker, whose daughter grew up in Huntington, stated he wants to sit at a table with the riders and other local leaders to discuss the incident. He described the display as a representation of racism and hatred that sparked immediate fear and outrage in the community.
The couple rode through residential streets on Saturday evening while families and children trick-or-treated. The woman, who declined an on-camera interview, told 21Alive News via Facebook messages on Monday that the costumes were worn for approximately 30 minutes. She defended the choice as a standard Halloween practice, noting that many costumes are controversial. She asserted that the riders were not Klan members or racists and had not physically harmed anyone.
Despite her defense, the incident prompted formal condemnations from city, county, and state officials. Huntington Mayor Richard Strick released a statement among the first to respond. The Huntington County Commissioners followed with a joint statement on Sunday. State Senator Nick McKinley, who represents Senate District 17, also issued a statement condemning the behavior.
County Commissioner President Rob Miller emphasized that the community should not dismiss the incident as a harmless prank. He argued that reenacting the costumes of a group associated with dark history and violence was unconscionable. Miller noted that the display evoked the racism and violence that plagued the nation for years.
The woman alleged that the backlash has escalated into targeted threats against her family and animals. She cited doxing, defamation, and death threats in her message to 21Alive News. When asked if she would accept Parker's invitation to meet, she said it was a possibility that she and her boyfriend would discuss. The couple had previously posted an explanation to a local Facebook group, describing the group as two ghost horses, one regular ghost, and one ghost off the KKK.
Source: WCJB
