Saratoga Springs Police are trying to locate a group of people that draped more than three dozen Confederate flags over a popular display of lawn jockeys at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Our Matt Hunter reports.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Those who have claimed responsibility for the action call it a "work of public art and applied criticism." Leaders at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame believe the proper term for draping 37 Confederate flags over their public lawn jockey display is "vandalism."
"I think people need to have better values in their life and not deface somebody else’s property, especially a public installation," museum president John Hendrickson said Thursday.
Signed by the pseudonym Jehu Sal Deyaun, which is believed to be the name of a former slave from the Saratoga region, a letter sent to the press earlier this week claims lawn jockeys are a symbol of slavery that "whitewash" the history of African-Americans in the sport of horse racing.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Hendrickson says the statues that were installed last summer were never meant to depict a specific race.
"In no way did we mean to offend anybody with the installation,” said Hendrickson, whose wife, Marylou Whitney, is represented by one of the lawn jockeys. “The lawn jockeys were meant to remind people and celebrate the colors of the racing silks, not the color of someone’s skin."
Shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, police say the museum's surveillance cameras captured five individuals draping the flags over the jockeys. While no damage was caused, Saratoga Springs police are trying to identify and locate the group to determine if an actual crime took place.
"It is not clear-cut,” Saratoga Springs Police Lieutenant Robert Jillson said. “If we can discover who was involved in this, what their reasoning is behind it besides what is just in the letter, we can make a determination then."
When contacted earlier this week through email, one of the individuals who sent the letter and claimed responsibility for the flags declined an on-camera interview and said they prefer to communicate only electronically, but they hope the exposure their protest will prompt a response by the Racing Museum.
"I wish they would have a dialogue, but it is pretty hard to have a dialogue with someone who wants to remain anonymous," Hendrickson said.
Months prior to this protest, Hendrickson says museum staff began planning a spring exhibit that will honor the contributions of African-American jockeys.
"The Hall of Fame has many African-American jockeys and trainers that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “We celebrate anyone who has contributed to the sport."