The Boone county city of Harrison, known for a controversial past of violent racism is celebrating black history month publicly for the first time just miles from the national Ku Klux Klan headquarters. 5NEWS reporter Kumasi Aaron sat down with the Klan leader about this historically significant event.
Friday civil rights icon Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. joined more than 500 students from across the state to celebrate black history in Harrison, Arkansas. It’s the first program of its kind in this quiet town, often associated with racism.
“This is a really nice effort that they're putting out there to kind of get away from the stigma that's been attached to Harrison,” says one Harrison resident.
In 1905 rioters violently forced Harrison’s African American residents out of town. Mayor Jeff Crockett say things have changed in the last century but the stigma remains.
"We wanted them to come here because we wanted the exposure,” says Harrison Mayor Jeff Crockett. “We wanted our kids to be exposed to other cultures we wanted their kids to be exposed here to take the word back that you know Harrison is not a bad place to go.”
He hopes this is program is a step in the right direction.
City leaders say one of the biggest obstacles Harrison faces in changing perception is the presence of the Ku Klux Klan. It's national headquarters is just 15 miles outside of town.
Pastor Thomas Robb is the national leader of the KKK. He believes the stigma of racism in Harrison, and fear of the KKK is created by others.
"There's a certain element of people that want to be scared,” Pastor Robb says. “They need to have a boogeyman they need to have somebody that they are afraid of. That's what this is. They have taken a group like the Klan and they made it they're boogey man like ooh we have to be afraid of this."
He says the perception that many Americans have of the KKK is simply not true.
"I've never seen that I've never seen that in all my years I've never seen that. I don't hate black people. I don't hate minorities. I don't know anybody who does."
Residents just hope people judge Harrison on its present not his past.
"The history of Harrison way way back,” says another Harrison resident. “Nowadays no this is a good Christian community and they open arms to anybody."
Harrison's mayor says he hopes this celebration will take place every year.
