A town centre bar has sparked outrage among members of Huddersfield’s African Caribbean community by displaying the American Confederate flag.
Revolution at Cross Church Street in Huddersfield displayed the flag – the symbol of the southern states during the American Civil War – as part of an in-house promotion, believed to be themed on TV’s Dukes of Hazzard.
But the Bank Holiday promotion angered a number of people of African Caribbean culture because of the flag’s association with racism and slavery as practised in the southern states.
A number of people took to Facebook to comment, including rugby league player Marcus St Hilaire, who posted photos of the flag taken through the window.
Birkby woman Doreen Reid emailed a letter of complaint to Mark McQuarter, chief executive of Revolution Bars Group and to the firm’s area managers and marketing executive explaining why the flag is contentious and asking the company to make sure the flag is never used again at any of its bars.
She said she had received a verbal apology, but said she was not happy with the firm’s response and has now written separately to Mr McQuarter to expand on her concerns.
She said: “Huddersfield is a lovely community and we all get on with our neighbours and we don’t want to see that harmony in our community disturbed.”
Doreen, who used to run her own beauty therapy business and now works in project management for London Air Ambulance, said: “This flag is a symbol that reflects everything that is vile to the black community and people of colour in this town.”
She added: “The Confederate flag is seen as a symbol of hate towards people of colour and all ethnic groups and goes hand in hand with pictures of black men being hunted down and hung from trees as trophies.”
She said: “I love going to Revolution and the staff there are fantastic. I would not expect them to realise the significance of the flag, but its use is insensitive and we would not like to see it again in Huddersfield.”
A spokesman for Revolution Bars Group said: “There is no further comments we would like to add at this time.”
