What we see in Charlottesville is only the tip of the iceberg. Racism has been simmering for a long time and was unleashed by the words of Donald Trump. In small communities in the South there appears to be a reluctance to react to racism especially in the form of hate incidents.
In my community in Yancey County, North Carolina, there was a hate incident at the local high school. When mentioned to people in the community, little is known abouth this atrocious act. The reason is because there is a lack of urgency among those who are charged with assuring decency in the community.
In this case, the school covered it up indicating they didn't have a problem. The reality is that it may not be a school problem as much as it is a community problem. The local newspaper, when made aware of it, did little or nothing. And the local NAACP also covered it up saying they would deal with it later.
When a student walks through the school with a cross with two effigies of black people hanging from a noose it becomes clear that there is a problem that needs to be addressed by the community. This must be dealt with immediately to assure it doesn't escalate into more and more Charlottesville incidents.
It is time to demand a sense of urgency in the rural South!
Caplee68@yahoo.com
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