Racism in Martinsville, in
Racism in My Hometown Denise Langdon 9/25/2011 Eth /125
The murder of Carol Jenkins in 1968 is largely accounted for giving Martinsville, Indiana the racist image it has today. Although this was not the first or last act of racist hate crimes in the town, this one stuck in the minds of many people. This woman was murdered by who was thought to have been a local resident, protected by police, and started a huge controversy about racism in this small town of 14,000-20,000 people. Racism is a problem that plagues each community but I think it is more prominent in smaller towns throughout America. This is just one story about the troubles that one small town has gone through in its troubled past and present. The incidents that affirm the racist image of this town, and things the town has done to erase that negative image are plenty. The citizens of this town want nothing more than to shed this bad image and show people who this town welcomes people of all cultures and races with open arms. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan activity was very strong and the first rally took place in 1923 right in the town square. Thousands of people were members of the Klan in the 1920s, including women and children. They wanted to promote 100% Americanism ("Martinsville: A Pictorial History. Chapter 10” 2000-2001). Martinsville was dubbed a “sundown town” because while Blacks were allowed to work here, sometimes, during the day--it was known that they should not be caught here after dark. The town has been the alleged headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan and several other hate groups such as the CCC are present here. I have heard stories from my parents about the
The murder of Carol Jenkins in 1968 is largely accounted for giving Martinsville, Indiana the racist image it has today. Although this was not the first or last act of racist hate crimes in the town, this one stuck in the minds of many people. This woman was murdered by who was thought to have been a local resident, protected by police, and started a huge controversy about racism in this small town of 14,000-20,000 people. Racism is a problem that plagues each community but I think it is more prominent in smaller towns throughout America. This is just one story about the troubles that one small town has gone through in its troubled past and present. The incidents that affirm the racist image of this town, and things the town has done to erase that negative image are plenty. The citizens of this town want nothing more than to shed this bad image and show people who this town welcomes people of all cultures and races with open arms. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan activity was very strong and the first rally took place in 1923 right in the town square. Thousands of people were members of the Klan in the 1920s, including women and children. They wanted to promote 100% Americanism ("Martinsville: A Pictorial History. Chapter 10” 2000-2001). Martinsville was dubbed a “sundown town” because while Blacks were allowed to work here, sometimes, during the day--it was known that they should not be caught here after dark. The town has been the alleged headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan and several other hate groups such as the CCC are present here. I have heard stories from my parents about the