Why is the KKK distributing 'neighborhood watch' fliers in North Charleston, S.C.?
The Ku Klux Klan is reportedly distributing 鈥渘eighborhood watch鈥� fliers in a predominantly black North Charleston community just weeks after Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people at Emmanuel AME church in Charleston, S.C.
Cherri Delesline that she noticed pick-up trucks 鈥渇ull of white people鈥� cruising through her largely African-American neighborhood, Confederate battle flags blowing in the wind. The next day she was surprised to find a flier tucked under the windshield of her car that read 鈥淣eighborhood Watch. You can sleep tonight knowing the Klan is awake." The flier also invites people to contact the 鈥淭raditionalist American Knights鈥� if there鈥檚 鈥渢rouble in your neighborhood,鈥� indicating that the organization sees itself as a protecting force.
The Ku Klux Klan has long insisted that it鈥檚 a peaceful group. took an in-depth look at the white supremacist group in a documentary titled 鈥�." A man simply referred to as Jeff told the Guardian, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not bad like everybody thinks we are.鈥� 聽
followed the controversy surrounding a Georgia KKK group that wanted to adopt a highway. The request was later denied. But April Chambers, secretary of the chapter, told CNN, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not racists. We just want to be with white people. If that鈥檚 a crime, then I don鈥檛 know. It鈥檚 all right to be black and Latino and proud, but you can鈥檛 be white and proud. I don鈥檛 understand it.鈥�
Others agreed. Frank Ancona, the imperial wizard of the Traditional American Knights of the KKK said, 鈥淲e do not hate anyone,鈥� then added, 鈥淭he true Ku Klux Klan is an organization that is looking out for the interests of the white race. It is a fraternal organization, and we do good works.鈥�
And yet the KKK is historically associated more with criminal acts against minority groups than with good works. The KKK was founded following the Civil War at the height of Reconstruction. The Klan quickly became known for its violent attacks on those who opposed white supremacy. In recent years, the organization has struggled to gain popularity and some have turned to more civic projects, .
The fliers in North Charleston raise several questions in light of the KKK鈥檚 鈥渃ivil鈥� turn. 鈥淲hy would you put a KKK flier in a black neighborhood?,鈥� asked Jesse Williams, . Mr. Williams is the neighborhood association鈥檚 president.
Some have suggested that it may be a response to the unity seen in Charleston, S.C., following the attack on the Emmanuel AME church. Robert Jones, grand dragon for the North Carolina-based Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, that Mr. Roof was 鈥渉eading in the right direction,鈥� although he added, 鈥淗e should have actually aimed at the African-American gang-bangers, the ones who are selling the drugs to white youth, the ones who are robbing 鈥� every chance they get.鈥�
The Loyal White Knights of the KKK, headquartered in Pelham, N.C., plans on holding a rally at the South Carolina capitol building on Friday to protest the removal of the Confederate battle flag.聽
