Lowe's says it will change how it sells rope after noose found at Orlando store
ORLANDO, Fla. — A rope tied like a noose was found inside an Orlando Lowe’s, prompting the national chain to change how it sells the material from now on.
According to a report from WFTV, the noose — an object that’s come to symbolize the racist lynchings of Black Americans — was found over the weekend at the store on Lake Underhill Road. In a statement, a Lowe’s spokesperson said the company is investigating the incident.
Lowe’s appears to suspect racism motivated whoever tied the noose and left it for employees and shoppers to find, although no information has been provided that explains why that conclusion was reached.
“Lowe’s will not tolerate racism or our products being used to create a symbol of hate, and to ensure this staple product cannot be misused this way again, we are changing how we sell rope in our stores nationwide,” the company said.
In June, a garage pull rope tied to resemble a noose was found inside the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of Black NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. It was discovered a few weeks after NASCAR announced it was banning Confederate flags from its races, a momentous change for the sport that Wallace helped drive.
The FBI later concluded that the noose had been in the garage since 2019, and because Wallace was only recently assigned to that garage, federal charges were not filed.
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