Racism, the Klan and reasonable fear.

Howell, MI was a KKK hang out until the 1950s - I think there was a Klaven (?) there. A Klan leader named Robert Miles lived there until his death in 1992. It’s still a conservative, apparently bigoted town. I’ve never even been there - but Michigan is terribly racially divided so I don’t doubt it. Last year a KKK memorabilia auction was held there. That got press worldwide.
Here’s two articles I found.
One.
Two.

A friend’s boyfriend is black, and was recently offered a good job in Howell. Saying he was afraid he might be attacked, even killed. This is what he told me, anyhow - he turned down the job offer.
I am not sure when the last racially-motivated crime occured in Howell. I found mention of a cross burning in 1988 in front of a Howell black family’s house, but nothing more recent than that. Not to say it isn’t an intimidating atmosphere, perhaps, for non-whites to live or work in, although there are non-white families living and working there.
I live in Flint, as does my friend and Boyfriend. I can’t find cites, but I recall reading the 2005 murder round up (this city has an extremely high murder rate)
in the local newspaper, with a racial breakdown and blacks murdering blacks accounted for about 90% of the killings. Quite often drug related, about one per week. :frowning:
Now, Boyfriend has a brother who is a crack dealer, another who just got out of jail for domestic violence. Crack dealer brother lived with him for about a year until just recently. Boyfriend neither deals or does drugs, but he’s certainly close to many who do; as part of his social circle.
So, I am thinking his chances of being harmed or killed, statistically, are much much higher here in nasty old Flint. There’s not much job opportunity here, the Howell job was a supervisory position and sounded good.
I wonder if this avoidance of being confronted with bigotry is pandemic? Races tend to avoid each other around here like no place else I’ve ever lived, and it’s such a harmful attitude on both sides. Not at all conducive to ever acheiving racial harmony, certainly. Both Flint and Detroit are cities in terrible shape, both very racially polarized. I’ve lived in other cities - Denver for one - which are much more successful, pleasant and very ethnically and racially diverse.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this so I hope it’s not too rambling! Just thought I’d toss it out to an intelligent group of people for random thoughts.

[QUOTE=bonobo_jones]
I wonder if this avoidance of being confronted with bigotry is pandemic?

[QUOTE]

(cut off here a rant about Basque terrorist tactics)

Terrorists’ main weapon is fear. There are terrorists pretty much everywhere, the Kukux is/was just one group. If you get together with some people whose let’s-call-them-brains work along the same lines as yours, get some initials, cover your face and use guns/bombs, you’re called a terrorist. With less paraphernalia, the word is “bully”.

Since there are terrorists and bullies everywhere and since many of them use race as The Excuse, I imagine that yes, fear of being bullied because of your race is pandemic.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are/were 22 identified hate groups in the State of Michigan (last updated in 2004). Among them is the KKK.

The site also lists recorded hate incidents.