Harrisburg slave billboard prompts State Rep. Ronald G. Waters to complain
Published: Friday, March 09, 2012, 4:46 PM Updated: Friday, March 09, 2012, 4:51 PM
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A Harrisburg billboard showing a black man with a collar and the words, “Slaves, obey your masters,” compelled State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, to write a letter condemning Lamar Advertising. Waters, a Democrat from Philadelphia, asked the company to avoid racially motivated images in the future.
The billboard went up this week at 13th and Paxton streets on Harrisburg's Allison Hill then was torn down.
The billboard was sponsored by the American Atheists and Pennsylvania Nonbelievers to protest state legislators naming 2012 the Year of the Bible. Someone tore it down Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
“Such an image does not assist in the progression of our capital city, commonwealth or nation,” Waters wrote. “This image and mere reminder of slavery are offensive to minority citizens in the city of Harrisburg. We are well aware of what occurred to blacks during the early history of this nation, a blatant billboard is unnecessary."
He asked the billboard company to uplift the community by promoting culturally enriching advertisement celebrating the diversity.
The billboard went up this week at 13th and Paxton streets on
Harrisburg's Allison Hill then was torn down.
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