Sure, we live in a "post-racial" America

[RidgeHunter]

I took this picture in Harrison, Arkansas on Sunday. Thomas Robb - the head honcho for the Knights of the Klu Kulx Klan - has his headquarters in Boone County. The KKK showed up to the black history program in February. No black people did. That's because in a town of 13,000 - there are only 34 black people. Too many, according to the local Klux Klux Krowd. In 1905 and 1909 blacks were violently driven out of Harrison and they just never seemed to come back for some reason.

A man from Fayetteville defaced the sign last fall, and his name and business were spread far and wide through the media, while the coward who pays to put the sign up chooses to remain anonymous. Some of the the local community stuck up for the man who leased the sign. It's clear who still has the voice in this part of the country.

The next time I hear anyone say we live in a "post-racial" America or "racism is dead" I want them to ask a few of the 34 black residents of Harrison just how dead racism is. I spend a lot of time in the Ozarks, and I've gotten used to seeing the Aryan stickers on pickup bumpers around McDonald county and the t-shirts at the Cassville Wal-Mart. Sure, this kind of blatant, open racism is all but dead in places as "advanced" as Tulsa even (we just hide it now, like the Northeast and upper Midwest has been doing for years.) But every time I head for this part of the country I can count on seeing out & open white supremacists. If you forget it, remind yourself. If you deny it, go f*ck yourself.

Here's some parting music from some Boone County kids for you.

 

[Jestik]

Went to Arkansas once for Spring Break for a week with my college room mates. Did not realize it until Day 5 when we spotted an African American Lady in hospital scrubs gassing up her new baby-blue 2005 Mustang (this was in 2005) that we had yet to see a person of color until her.

 

[Glocktogo]

You'd find pretty much the same thing in rural areas of Idaho. Of course, show up in Birkenstocks and a tye-dye t-shirt and see how warm the welcome is. Backwater locales tend to attract all sorts of anti-social people who pretty much hate other people, period.

On the flip side of the coin, try showing up in Compton, CA or Camden, NJ wearing white skin and see how warm the welcome is. Pretty much the only difference is they don't pay for billboards to express their bias. The results are the same though.

 

[Old Fart]

I find it disappointing that it's still such a major issue.

 

[RidgeHunter]

This thread is not to imply only the south is racist. I remember a professor from Michigan on NPR after the Good Friday Shootings talking about Tulsa's racist past. Yes, Michigan. Please tell us about racism.

This is Detroit in 2010. Blue dots are blacks and red dots are whites. Chicago, Philly, Boston, etc. look(ed) much the same. This is not them choosing to live there, this is a result of redlining, which Detroit mastered. The north has a level of professional racism that the south just ain't sophisticated enough for. The point is both kinds still exist, and if you don't believe me, let's go on a road trip.

 

[TedKennedy]

I was thinking Harrison was one of the fastest-growing areas in the country in recent years, very healthy economy. I know there's some really great hiking trails in the area.
I guess I just don't understand why you'd be upset about the sign. It's kinda like it's OK to be anti-white.

 

[RidgeHunter]

I was thinking Harrison was one of the fastest-growing areas in the country in recent years, very healthy economy. I know there's some really great hiking trails in the area.

Beautiful part of the country. I spend a ton of time there. I've floated almost every section of the Buffalo multiple times and yeah, there is hiking in this part of Arkansas that can only be topped in actual mountain states. I'm sure becoming a wet county has helped the economy. I swear to god there are a dozen brand new and huge liquor stores in Boone County. First store to sell beer did $140,000 in beer sales in one month.

I guess I just don't understand why you'd be upset about the sign. It's kinda like it's OK to be anti-white.

Oh, so you're delusional. Thanks for saving me some time typing.

 

[Hawgman]

I anticipate great things for this thread. The discourse will be civil and mutual respect will abound.

 

[RidgeHunter]

On the flip side of the coin, try showing up in Compton, CA or Camden, NJ wearing white skin and see how warm the welcome is. Pretty much the only difference is they don't pay for billboards to express their bias. The results are the same though.

Why do Compton and Camden exist as black-majority places? Why did blacks move to Compton and Watts?

 

[uncle money bags]

were all purple dots.
quit feeling guilty about it, stop trying to take advantage of it, and we will get along just fine.

too bad human nature wont allow it.