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Pence’s brother criticized for selling racist antiques

EDINBURGH, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, brother of Vice President Mike Pence, is coming under criticism for allowing the sale of objects with racist depictions of African Americans at a sprawling antiques mall he co-owns — and the issue has taken on particular significance as the Republican defends his congressional seat in Indiana amid a national reckoning on race.

The Exit 76 Antique Mall in Edinburgh, Indiana, has more than 4 million items for sale by the merchants who rent booths from Pence, the vice president’s older brother, and his wife — including porcelain dinner sets and vintage clothing, Civil War relics, first edition classic rock records and thousands of old baseball cards.

But sprinkled throughout the mall’s 72,000 square feet are also dozens of objects that trade in Jim Crow-era caricatures and stereotypes, like a coin bank featuring an exaggerated, straw-hatted Black figure biting down on a watermelon or “Mammy” biscuit jars depicting smiling Black enslaved women. Some are hard to find, while others are clearly on display.

Jeannine Lee Lake, Pence’s Democratic challenger, drew attention to the objects recently on social media.

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