'Despicable Act': Black Doll Found Hanging From Noose Above Pa. Playground
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PHILADELPHIA (AP/KDKA) -- Police say a black doll was found hanging from a noose above a playground that partly sits on top of a burial site for 5,000 black Philadelphia residents.
The doll was discovered Thursday morning.
Mayor Jim Kenney called it a "despicable act" and said the city will do everything it can to bring to justice those responsible.
Mayor Kenney's full statement reads:
"Although the investigation is still underway, I want to immediately condemn this despicable act. It demonstrates how far this country has fallen when people are inspired by the hateful rhetoric of our President. And it is particularly disgraceful to make a sacrilege out of a sacred burial ground, where thousands of African Americans are interred. The City will do everything in its power to bring the people responsible to justice for this disgusting act."
- For more on this developing story, visit CBS Philadelphia.
The city had recently announced plans to put up a memorial to those buried beneath the playground.
The 19th century burial ground was established by Richard Allen, a freed slave who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Its existence had been forgotten until a historian began researching the site about a decade ago.
The Fraternal Order of Police is offering a $5,000 reward for information in regards to the case.
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