Some are calling this year’s Lone Stranger costumes racist
When Redding Police Department Chief Brian Barner and local restaurant owner Karline Niver played the part of robbers in an annual scavenger hunt, they dressed in costume elements that included an afro wig and a brown mask. A photo of the two went viral on Reddit, drawing concern from some community members.
The stated slogan of the Asphalt Cowboys, a local nonprofit dedicated to raising money for the Redding Rodeo, is “keeping Redding rodeo traditions alive.” Those traditions include the widely beloved rodeo week events, including a parade, street dancing and last weekend’s pancake breakfast in Redding — which was attended by thousands.
Another one of those traditions is the Lone Stranger event, an annual community scavenger hunt that involves well-known locals dressing up in costumes and carrying out a mock bank robbery. This year, the mock robbers were Karline Niver, the owner of two popular local restaurants, and Redding Police Chief Brian Barner.
Costumes worn in past years have included Scooby Doo and Winnie the Pooh, but this year’s get-ups took a different tone, upsetting some community members. Barner wore an afro wig and held a liquor bottle as a prop, obscuring his facial skin with a bandana, while Niver wore a mask depicting a brown-skinned man with a black mustache.
While the event was covered by both the Record Searchlight and KRCR, neither made note of the controversial costumes. The community did. On a Redding Reddit thread, a picture of the two went viral, with many describing the costumes as racist.
Community member Margaret Ramirez, who was made aware of the incident from Reddit, told Shasta Scout that an email she sent to Barner outlining her concerns has gone unanswered, as of May 21.
“I felt angry that it was OK to dress up as stereotypes,” Ramirez told Shasta Scout. “This is 2026, and photos like this may seem harmless but they just allow creeping racism to show its ugly face.”
The Asphalt Cowboys did not respond to Shasta Scout’s request for comment, but Barner called Ramirez and other community members’ reactions “unfortunate,” saying the purpose of the costumes was to obscure his and Niver’s appearance “in the same manner done in years past.”
Niver told Shasta Scout that she chose the different elements of the costume, including the mask, out of a tote bag that was provided to her by the Asphalt Cowboys when she arrived at the event. She recalled selecting the mask and clothes because they were some of the only items that fit her small frame, and she did not perceive their appearance as racialized until it was pointed out to her afterward.
“I’m very sorry, and it makes me very sad that it came across that way,” she said, adding that she’s already approached the Asphalt Cowboys about getting new costumes.
Prefacing his remarks with the generally supportive comment that the Lone Stranger game is a “great tradition,” a spokesperson from the Shasta Equal Justice Coalition weighed in on the costumes, writing by email that “it appears that two City leaders chose to wear costumes that reinforce harmful racial stereotypes.”
He added that situations like this call for an acknowledgment of harm and a commitment to repairing that harm and reducing biases.
The reinforcement of harmful racial bias through costuming, intentional or not, has a long history in the United States. One notable historical example is the tradition of minstrelsy, which the National Museum of African American History and Culture defines as “comedic performances of ‘blackness’ by whites in exaggerated costumes and make-up.” In fact, Jim Crow laws, which imposed segregation in the South, were named after a minstrel character from the 1930s.
In spite of the practice’s harmful effects, the museum points out, the negative stereotyping of Black culture has been a consistent presence in American pop culture from the time of Reconstruction to, many have argued, the present.
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Typical “MAGA America.”
For decades, racists were too afraid of social censure to display their racism. Trump & MAGA have freed them from social restraints.
Now they’re proud to show their real feelings toward anyone who has more pigment in their skin than they do.
They needed a picture of one of the signs around town, “NO ROOM FOR RACISM”.
Almost 60% of respondents answered “NO” to this NextDoor survey question: “Do you think that Arabic numerals should be taught in Shasta County schools.” Surprised?
That’s hilarious! Roman numerals only? Maybe we should invent American numerals. And than there’s the metric system, which we refuse.
It’s like the racist uncle who doesn’t know he’s a racist; or knows and has a “No big deal, let it go, this is fun!” attitude. On another note, the day of the fake bank robbery (are you kidding me with this still going on?) I was at a place of business. The owner of the shop had dropped to the floor because they heard multiple gun shots and later looked for it anywhere in the local news. Having grown up here in Redding I had a hunch it was the Rodeo Week thing. This person was very relieved to hear that but also thought it was crazy reckless. Can you imagine how scary it would be for those from out of town with no knowledge of this fake bank robbery or people suffering from PTSD, etc.? I’m all for fun but with all of the gun violence these days, good gawd, some traditions need to be “rethunk”. Just because somethings “always been done” doesn’t mean it should.
You mean the gun violence they tell you has happened but leave out how many times guns have saved people. The number saved is exponentially higher than those lost to gun violence. The line strangers is based in folklore not racist. Maybe educate oneself about the actual facts of gun violence before using that for an excuse. Which race exactly is this racist towards? I saw the picture. This isn’t cultural appropriation. If ppl think it is, then maybe they need to stop finding fault in places there is none and get a healthy work life balance. My goodness. Ppl need to stop with the hate!
GG – People need to stop equating hate with truth; it’s dishonest. I don’t have an argument with the 2nd Amendment but when one uses “things you don’t hear about” as one’s “fact” set, there are bound to be issues.
The Author of this piece is a professional divider and very typical of left wing fascist .
If you haven’t seen the costumes yet, it’s worth following the link in the article to the Reddit page. Jesus God. How thick do you have to be to fail to see those as racist AF?
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Shastanistan, once again marching on our own ass-backward hick peckers for all the world to see.
This incident exposed a critical lack of cultural responsiveness from the chief of Redding Police. It’s unfortunate that the police chief only provided a quasi, forced apology but failed to outline proactive steps he would take as a civic leader to prevent recurrence. In contrast, the restaurant owner took responsibility by apologizing and has already approached the Asphalt Cowboys to replace the problematic costumes.
The costumes weren’t racist. Chill out.
It’s hard to believe that in the year 2026, we are still so blind. But, then again, a survey by The Hill found that about half of American respondents described the current president as racist, and 67% of Shasta County voted for the convicted criminal.
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At risk of woking the trumpers out of their delusional slumber, here’s a bit of education you might want to consider:
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Implicit bias is an attitude or internalized stereotype that affects an individual’s perception, action, or decision-making in an unconscious manner. It can contribute to unequal treatment based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, or disability (Michigan.gov, 2021, September 24).
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Explicit or conscious bias occurs when we are aware of our prejudices and attitudes toward certain groups. Positive or negative preferences for a particular group are conscious. Overt racism and racist comments are examples of explicit biases.
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Explicit forms of bias include preferences, beliefs, and attitudes that people are consciously aware of, personally endorse, and can identify and communicate. Discrimination, directly related to bias, is the unequal treatment of individuals and communities related to general policies, practices, and norms (Vela et al., 2022).
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As Pet Townshead famously wrote, ” Who Are You?”
In today’s culture anyone who wants to be a victim can be…
Let it go
Or anyone who doesn’t want to be a victim, can be. Racist shit is racist shit, intended or otherwise. “Let it go”? Nah. Learn. Do better.