‘Racist’ discovery at Sydney bar sparks heated debate

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An unlikely item displayed in a Sydney bar has sparked heated debate after a customer shared the dubious and ‘racist’ find online.

Bar staff at Balmain’s Cantina Bar reportedly told the customer they “couldn’t remove it” despite her request, “because the owner loves it”.

The item in question is a vintage “Jolly” mechanical piggy bank with the original dating from the late 19th century. Since then it has been reproduced and sold around the world and remains a popular collector’s item. The problem, it seems, is the wording on the back that reads: “Jolly n***er bank”. The “Jolly” bank is among the earliest black memories of Americana, but many say the cast-iron bank is “racist.”

The woman knocked on Cantina Bar in Sydney after finding this Jolly piggy bank on display. Source: TikTok/Fkmgmt

The TikTok user, whose real name is unknown, shared a video on Monday that shows her asking bar staff about the article. It has since racked up over 1.7 million views.

“Do you think it should be omitted if it has the N-word on it?” she heard the worker ask, but the worker’s response is unclear. “The bar staff are lovely but they couldn’t remove it because the owner loves it and doesn’t want them touching it,” she wrote in the caption, calling for it to be removed. In a second video, she called it a “racist piggy bank.”

Questionable article divides: “Part of the story”

Comments poured in from people sharing their thoughts on the matter, although they were found to be divided. Some agreed with the woman and said they were “happy” that she was “calling him”. “We need to cancel this pub,” one exclaimed.

But though sometimes called “offensive,” black memorabilia is an important part of American history, so many have claimed there’s “nothing wrong” with the piggy bank. “It’s part of the story,” one wrote in the comments. “I don’t see any problem with that,” said another.

The story continues

Some have pointed to the current value of this piggy bank, saying it is a “true collector’s item”. In fact, dozens have said they own a few themselves and are looking to find more to add to their collection of vintage pieces. Others have said that we “can’t erase the past” that this Jolly object represents. And while some agree, many have suggested that the vintage piece “belongs in a museum” and “not in a bar.”

This piggy bank was on display in 2017 at an antique shop in Moss Vale, Sydney. Source: Supplied

Responding to the criticism in a follow-up clip, which has now been deleted, the dejected poster claims his request is “to cancel the culture”. “We were just asking that it be removed from display,” she wrote. “Yes, that’s part of the story, a very racist story that shouldn’t be proudly displayed to your customers.”

Antique stores are known to sell similar items. A photo shared with Yahoo News Australia shows a similar piggy bank on display in Mona Vale, Sydney in 2017. It retailed for $40 and was labeled ‘n***er piggy bank’.

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