PA Homeowner Defies NAACP Over Halloween ‘Corpses’ Display

A Bucks County homeowner faces backlash over Halloween decorations resembling lynching victims, as the NAACP calls for removal.

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A Bucks County, Pennsylvania homeowner is facing public backlash for refusing to remove Halloween decorations that some residents and the local NAACP claim resemble lynching victims and carry painful historical significance for Black Americans.

Homeowner Stands by Decorations

Mike Wade, the homeowner, told reporters that he purchased the Halloween display kit and never intended to offend anyone. “My house is scary. My house is always scary. It’s always set up scary. Same thing. Dead bodies laying around, skeletons. It’s Halloween,” he said.

While some neighbors dismissed the controversy as seasonal spookiness, others, including resident Roshea Newkirk, questioned the display. “I’m just looking at it and I’m just thinking to him, like, ‘do you not see what’s wrong with this?’” she said.

Controversy Spills into Council Meeting

The issue reached a Bristol Borough Council meeting, where resident Karla Scott called the display “very inappropriate.” Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe confirmed that a borough inspector contacted the homeowner shortly after the display went up. Officials asked him to take it down, but he declined.

“He feels they’re Halloween decorations and he won’t take them down. And we don’t have an ordinance against anything like that,” DiGuiseppe stated. The decorations remain in place.

NAACP Calls for Historical Awareness

The Bucks County NAACP entered the fray after receiving a complaint on October 7. Branch President Adrienne King said the resident had first approached borough officials before contacting the organization.

In a statement, the group argued that “for Black Americans, the imagery of bodies hanging from trees is not simply a Halloween decoration. It evokes one of the darkest chapters in American history.” They added that “intent does not erase impact” and that “something can be legally permissible and still be profoundly harmful.” The NAACP called for voluntary removal or modification, emphasizing that the issue is about historical awareness, empathy, and respect for neighbors.