The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.62/No.27           July 13, 1998 
 
 
200 Protest KKK, Racist Killing In Texas  

BY LAURA GARZA
JASPER, Texas - "Hey, hey, ho, ho, the KKK has got to go," was the chant that greeted the caravan of Ku Klux Klan members and their police escorts as they pulled up to the courthouse in downtown Jasper. The Klan rally on June 27 came in the wake of the brutal racist murder of James Byrd, Jr., just a few weeks ago. Byrd was beaten, chained by his ankles, and dragged behind the back of a pickup truck, dismembering his body along a three-mile route. Three white men have been charged in the killing.

While the Klan rally of about two dozen was ostensibly called to clarify their opposition to the murder, their spokespeople made clear that their real disagreement was with the outrage the killing has generated.

About 200 people, including dozens from out of town, came to the courthouse to protest the Klan. They did so in spite of an intense campaign to discourage any organized counterprotest to the racist rally. City and state officials, as well as leaders of traditional civil rights groups, told people to stay away and not respond to the KKK presence in the city. Jesse Jackson stated people should "go fishing" instead. This succeeded in preventing any official action from being called. A handful of supporters of the Klan also showed up, many sporting Confederate flags, and clapping openly at the Klan speeches though they were mingled in with the crowd of antiracist protesters.

Tracey Lott, a 28-year-old resident of Jasper, joined several family members who came out. Echoing a sentiment expressed by many of the Black townspeople there she said, "I felt staying home would be like showing you're scared."

Billy Middleton, who came with several friends to "stand up against the Klan and show we're not afraid of them," also described the treatment many Blacks have received at the hands of local cops. Less than two years ago his brother and cousin were beaten by police; when they arrived at the hospital they were refused care.

The debate about racism that has opened up since the murder of Byrd was part of discussions among the crowd. Responding to the often-quoted statements by Jasper's sheriff, who is white, and its Black mayor that there is no racial problem in Jasper, Bernadine Lewis Garland stated, "Racism is everywhere," and the city officials just didn't want to admit Jasper is like the rest of the country. "Where's the recreation," for Black youth in the town, Garland asked. "There's not one swimming pool." She and others in the crowd cited the lack of job opportunities, noting the small number of Blacks hired in front offices at the bank and the fact that while Blacks are hired as cooks, few Black waiters work in local restaurants.

The New Black Panthers of Dallas, led by former Nation of Islam official Khallid Muhammad, were the only organized forces that announced they would hold a counterprotest. They got massive media attention as they tried to physically confront the KKK, were turned away by cops, and then marched around the area, at one point with unloaded weapons. Most of the crowd, who came out to oppose the Klan, did not join in.

In many press accounts the Panthers were described as a "hate group," but many in the crowd who had come to protest the Klan took issue with this portrayal. Ethel Parks, of Jasper said she had one of them staying at her house and she thought the media was distorting their visit. "They believe in the right of Black people to defend themselves."

The NAACP held a statewide meeting June 27 in another part of town. A few dozen representatives from NAACP chapters attended along with some local residents. Rev. Raymond Scott of Beaumont, the area director of the NAACP, reported the chief of police said he didn't want the NAACP to hold a meeting in Jasper on that day. The meeting included an open discussion. People there described problems with job opportunities, racist treatment by local authorities, and a past unsolved killing of a Black youth, as well as projections for a memorial to James Byrd, Jr., and plans for following the trial of the accused killers.

Laura Garza is a member of International Association of Machinists Local 969 in Houston.

 
 
 
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