A Halloween decoration for sale in certain stores is causing a stir for its racist implications.
A Montreal man has complained to the Pierrefonds Dollarama about a prop for sale showing black severed feet in ankle shackles, calling it inappropriate.
Filip Aleksandrow messaged CJAD 800 News on Facebook, sending photos of the decoration and calling it disgusting. He added that his daughter, whose mother is black and of African descent, asked him why the shackled feet were only those of a black person.
Michael P. Farkas, president of the Round Table of Black History Month said the image is still a strong one.
"It puts it back to a time of right now, saying it's ok to have blacks in shackles and chains, 'ha,ha,ha' type of thing because people are going to put that on their lawns. It can bring controversy to something, that is far from being removed from our society," said Farkas in an interview with CJAD 800 News.
"It just continues to found, the foundation of slavery, of blacks being in jail and being shackled and being on the chain gang."
Carla Pierre-Paul, a co-worker at community group, Youth In Motion in Little Burgundy said she's shocked by the display and by criticism that the complaint is overreaction.
"It's not everybody who thinks about slave history, they just take it as a symbol or a costume, just playing, this is not the thing," said Pierre-Paul.
"They don't take it seriously."
Dollarama has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Both Pierre-Paul and Farkas say the decorations should be pulled from the shelves.
"It's very, very sad to still be in this time and age and see the insensitivity of the business to allow these things to carry on," said Farkas.