A Halloween display depicting bodies hanging from a tree has drawn a Bucks County NAACP complaint
The NAACP said the Halloween display "carries a painful historical significance rooted in lynching and racial terror."
These days, Halloween installations are bigger and spookier than ever, with towering skeletons, animatronic witches, and interactive monsters haunting suburban streets.
But one Bristol Township resident’s yard display has drawn the attention of neighbors, borough council, and the Bucks County NAACP for evoking America’s history of racial violence.
The setup includes five objects that look like bodies, wrapped in black garbage bags and duct-taped, dangling from a large tree, while at least two tall, creepy creatures stand nearby, an NBC10 news video shows.
At a recent Bristol borough council meeting, resident Karla Scott said that the bags look like they contain bodies with nooses around their necks.
“Now, I don’t know if the person is just not educated on this, but it is very offensive, not just to the Black people in the community, but the community as a whole,” said Scott, who asked that someone would speak with the person who put up the display.
“We did address this immediately. I don’t think it was up there a few hours, and our borough inspector was there the next day,” said borough council president Ralph DiGuiseppe.
DiGuiseppe said the homeowner, who was not identified, refused to take them down, and the borough doesn’t have a rule prohibiting such a display. The resident was not immediately available for comment.
The Bucks County NAACP said that while it may be legal, it doesn’t mean its right.
“For Black Americans, this imagery carries a painful historical significance rooted in lynching and racial terror. While we recognize that Halloween decorations are often intended to frighten or shock, intent does not erase impact,” the civil rights group said on social media.
The NAACP said it received a complaint on Oct. 7 and has since connected with borough leadership and is asking the homeowner to remove the display.
“This is not about restricting Halloween celebrations or freedom of expression,” the NAACP wrote. “It is about historical awareness, empathy, and respect for our neighbors.”
Though lynchings are often seen as a grim chapter in America’s past, there is concern that it continues. A recent news report documented 10 cases of Black people found hanging from trees in 2026 alone. Another report found roughly 70 such cases since 2000. This led more than 60 members of Congress to demand a federal investigation into the hangings in September.
Staff Writer Fallon Roth contributed reporting.
