South Dakota High School Rodeo Club Cancels 'Slave Auction' Amid Outrage

A rodeo club in Faith, South Dakota, canceled its "Slave/Branding Auction," a fundraising event, following a social media backlash over its name, which was described as "racist and derogatory."

The Faith High School Rodeo Club had initially planned the annual event, which included a pancake supper and a pie auction, for April 26 at Legion Hall in Faith, the Argus Leader reported.

"Slave Auctions" have existed in several communities in South Dakota for over a decade. The concept is that the club members are auctioned off to serve/do chores for the highest bidders in exchange for a donation.

This year, after the poster for the "Slave/Branding Auction" was circulated on social media, dozens of people from across the country called up Legion Hall host Glenda McGinnis wanting to know "how such a racist and hurtful name could be used in 2021," The Washington Post reported.

"I thought it was a joke. We have the event every year, for about 40 years now," McGinnis, who is also vice president of the Community Action Club that owns the Legion Hall, told the Post.

"I even got a call from a local cowboy who said, ‘How’s this going down? It’s not right.’ I told him we weren’t doing anything wrong. And he explained, ‘Well, it’s how it was advertised that’s wrong,’" McGinnis said.

She added that she didn’t even think of "slavery" in racist terms. "It’s just kids work for free to raise money for their club. Now I see; this is a very bad choice of words. But I’m naive enough, I guess.”

McGinnis said the Rodeo Club’s adviser called her Wednesday afternoon to inform her that the event has been called off.

Ann Sundermann, the executive secretary of the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association, told The Globe that her group only learned of the "slave auction" yesterday, and said she's aware the event was canceled.

The president of the school board in Faith, Scott Vance, was quoted in the news outlet as saying the event is "not associated with the school."

Meanwhile, Faith School District Superintendent Kelly Daughters told KELOLAND News that the school has nothing to do with the event.

Even so, the use of the words "slave auction" has triggered widespread protest among the community at a time when the issue of systemic racism has come into focus in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.

While state Rep. Linda Duba, D-Sioux Falls, called the event "tone-deaf" and "blatantly racist garbage," she told the Post that the club had the opportunity to change the name and still host the event. "Instead they displayed a tone-deafness that is inexcusable. We are better than this,” Duba said.

In 2018, Pierre/Fort Pierre High School Rodeo Club conducted a similar event. An African American member then called out the club, urging it to change the name of the event.

The club said it discussed a possible name change, but "voted to leave the name as it was because they weren’t able to settle on an alternative."