As I stood in the middle of those men drenched in Confederacy, my hands twitched and my stomach turned. As young black girl with blue and purple locs, it took everything in me to not react.
“Just do your job, get the photos,” I told myself.
As I looked over the members of The International Key Stone Knights, I couldn’t help but notice the vivid tattoos on their bodies. I felt as if the tattoos were shouting at me. “KKK,” they screamed.
I noticed I wasn’t the only one trying not to have an emotional breakdown, however. The daughter of one of The Knights hovered behind her father. I could see the fear and confusion on her face. I could understand her fear to a certain extent; it is was only 12 of them and at least 100 students shouting at them.
What I find baffling is that the very man she sought protection from, I feared. It wasn’t my life I feared for, I feared for the future. That little girl’s parents are members of The International Key Stone Knights and the chance that she will share the same views as her parents is very likely. Nothing is scarier than that hate being passed down to another generation.
One member of The Knights shouted at the students “This is why Mississippi should’ve kept segregation.”
At that very moment, I could no longer contain my silence.
As quickly as I could I moved to side where the students were standing. I stood in middle of the front row between several young black male students. I felt safe again. I sought protection from these young men just as the little girl did from her father. I sought protection from the men she feared.
However I couldn’t stay between these young men. I made my way through the crowd until I was on the steps on Fulton Chapel. As I snapped photos of the Klan and students from behind a lady a part of the opposing side approached me.
She felt the need to tell me that her and her son were not members of The Knights. I still don’t understand why she approached me. Her support for the flag puts her in the same category as The Knights in my eyes.
When debate could no longer be contained, the University officers began to escort The Knights off campus. To my surprise, the students followed behind them. The students said this is our campus and we are escorting them off as well.
Members of The Knights seemed upset by the students actions and they began yelling hateful things along the lines of “Michael Brown got shot down for being a gangster thug,” and “Darren Wilson is a national hero.”
When The Knights finally made it to their vehicles, which took forever because they forgot where they parked, the officers could no longer contain the students.
One student said to the officer “Complaining has never gotten black people anywhere in this country.”
One girl asked the officer “What are the repercussions of following them?” when they were asked to stop.
After all the events that followed the rally Friday; I feel that ASB has all it needs to see why they should take the flag down. If they keep the flag up, in my eyes, they support The Knights.
If you support The Knights, you don’t support African Americans or any other minority in this country. So ASB, take it down.
