South Holland resident removes Halloween decoration social media commenters called racially insensitive

Marleen Zambrano didn’t know what TikTok was until the outside of her South Holland home was going viral.

“Look at that. Can you all believe that? This is live, uncut, unedited,” a man who goes by Chicago Crime Chaser Martin G. Johnson said in a post on the video sharing app. “What does that represent? That’s symbolic, people.”

As Johnson flipped the camera around, the viewer sees a human figure in a black trash bag, wrapped in duct tape, hanging by its feet from a tree next to Zambrano’s home.

In the comment section, hundreds of people remarked with shock and awe, many alluding to racism and calling the installation offensive. It has been shared almost 1,000 times.

Alongside the hanging human figure were a smattering of other Halloween decorations: a bloodied Michael Myers doll; few ghosts; a jack-o’-lantern. Some other creepy figures lay about, but the human figure hanging from a tree reignited a conversation about the line between festive decorations and harmful messaging.

In one of these videos, Zambrano’s home address is shown and shared in an example of doxxing. Shortly after Johnson’s video went up Wednesday, police officers came to the home and alerted her some neighbors complained after seeing the social media posts.

“They asked me if I knew what TikTok was and what lynching was,” Zambrano said. “I didn’t at the time. I don’t have TikTok.”

When her children showed her the videos, Zambrano said she was shocked by comments calling her out for sending a threatening and harmful message.

“I wasn’t trying to offend anybody,” she said. “I wasn’t aware of anything.”

Some commenters told Johnson to the home and cut down the figure. He declined, saying he would not step onto another person’s property.

All of Zambrano’s immediate neighbors declined to comment or did not answer their door Wednesday. Johnson did not respond to several requests for comment.

But just as quickly as social media got wrapped up in calling out the homeowner, South Holland police were able to sense Zambrano’s confusion and remorse as she apologized and immediately took down the figure.

“They were mortified that it was perceived as offensive,” South Holland Mayor Don De Graff said after learning Wednesday about the communications between the police and Zambrano. “We were able to explain to them that that particular Halloween decoration was inappropriate based on the reaction.”

The same inflatable dummy with a black plastic bag, tape and rope is available on Amazon for $15.99.

This is not the first time that a south suburban town has struggled to pull off Halloween without some drama. In 2018, a Lansing home made news for a similar decoration.

NAACP member Mark Kuehner said at the time communities with changing demographics, cultural misunderstandings can occur. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, South Holland is population is more than 80% Black.

One of the reasons decorations so frequently cause problems among community members is because almost all are protected speech, said Janet Brewer, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Governors State University.

“Private property owners have wide discretion in their choice of lawn décor on Halloween, even when the decorations are considered offensive,” Brewer said. “There is no perfect solution because the Constitution favors your neighbor, however offensive.”

Further complicating the situation is the history of South Holland, a community with different rules than most towns. With its motto of Faith, Family and Future, religion is a large part of the community. Businesses historically close on Sundays and there was no alcohol sold in city limits for over a century until August 2023.

Brewer said communities may have their own guidelines which restrict an individuals’ decorations. She said people should be mindful of the different interpretations there may be to their decorations or costumes.

De Graff said the town would consider a change to laws if decorations continue to cause problems.

“We are also open to the idea of legislation but we also want to make sure we don’t over legislate something that could be intended to be just for fun and not harmful,” he said.

De Graff says a conversation, like the one with Zambrano which led to a swift resolution, is still ideal.