No Blacks Allowed?

I lived in harrison. I thought this was a really nice town with a beautiful park. I was thinking about moving back until I visited it . My first thoughts were where have all the hispanics gone you use to see them everywhere. Which is funny because when I lived there it was where are all the black people you never see them don't they have to eat. I felt like I didn't belong there like it was a place I shouldn't be really uncomfortable-creepy. I never knew when I lived there 8 years ago that the headquarters of the kkk was located near by. Just found out at work when I told co-workers about my experience at a visit to a cave nearby. I was almost arrested for counterfiet money when it was marked with a permanent marker instead of a money marker. I went back to work and told my story and the co-workers started laughing and said I was in kkk area. Now I know why I was the only hispanic around(Ha!HA!)So I got curious and started looking things up. I'm sure things will get better in time for Harrison. I still think it's a beautiful place. If more people looked at the bright side of things like I do it would be a much better world,but that is wishful thinking ain't it. Here's to you Harrison for trying to change for the better as we all know it can't happen over night. There's always going to be some bad apples in the bunch. (But out of the bushel you get alot more sweet ones.) I still plan to move back eventually. With the whole white/hispanic mixed clan.

I haven't seen the entire film but maybe (if it hasn't already been done in the film)someone from Harrison should post a video interviewing the black people that live there now and there opinions and views on Harrison.

I am white and I believe that we are all created equal and skin tone is just a part of the uniqueness of humans. I am surprised that there is a place left in "white america" that is still as ridiculous and ignorant as Harrison, Arkansas. I know that there are still individuals like that but I'm surprised that there is a whole town so openly racist. HOWEVER, I found it interesting that one of the questions the african american interviewer asked the local white resident was "If I moved just over there across the way, would you be happy about it?" and of course the response was "I wouldn't be happy because I want to preserve our community, our culture." But I think it is also not fair to ignore the fact that if I, as a white person, was to move into a government housing project that was mostly occupied by black people or almost any other low income predominantly black neighborhood, I would not be welcome either. In fact, my life would probably be in danger. Most white people that I know are actually even scared to just TRAVEL through such neighborhoods because of the reality that we could be robbed, beat, or murdered simply because we are white. I guess my point is that we are all responsible for racism, not just white people. In fact, as a group, I think there is probably a much smaller percentage of racist white neighborhoods as there is of racist black neighborhoods. This is not a fact that I have researched, just a guess. So why don't we all just cut the crap and stop being so obsessed with "preserving our cultures" which is really just another term for racism. Why not let our cultures change and grow together instead of working so hard to preserve our differences?

Harrison is still Like that today. Not for sure last timed I heard they still had the rebel flag up in the court yard. That could had been takeing down a long timed ago. There is Black people living there right now and one recently got a Scolorship there, That's a differnce story I could get into. I use too live in a small Town in Arkansas. Nice Video, I seen the Full version on PBS a while back.

great pod. i appreciated hearing from the people who live that way...thinking they're superior because of their skin color. you approached them without being obnoxious, which made them seem like ordinary people, which makes them interesting. maybe the full version delves into the why; why do these folks think being white is right, and how do they feel about other people of color? nevertheless, nice pod.

whaaaaat? damn...thats crazy..

They should come to my town- Clark, NJ

White - 13,951
Black or African American - 44

first i watched the video and felt terrible that there are such places in america where blacks are forced to leave a town due to there ethnicity... then i started reading comments from people that live in harrison and i'm completly confused. great pod though and keep up the work.

SO DID EVERYONE NOt NOTICE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE IN THIS THREAD HAS A PICTURE OF A NOOSE AS THEIR PROFILE PIC?

YEAH....EXPLAIN THAT ONE....

WE'RE WAITING.

This is bull. I can't believe this is still going on in the world. Why did people like Dr. King and Malcolm X die? This is really sad people. Really sad. Just to show you how some people will never change.

This filmaker has presented his OWN biased, racists view of Harrison to further his own agenda! He interviewed numerous people who made no such inflamatory remarks about Harrison and yet he chose to leave those interviews on the cutting room floor. Thom Robb is an ignorant man who claims Harrison simply because he rents a post office box in the Harrison post office. He actually lives in a tiny community outside of Harrison called Zinc. (Look it up.) Way in the past Harrisonites may have made the mistake that a lot of other people have been known to make--when they didn't know what to do, they did nothing. I moved to Harrison twenty years ago from a large, multi-ethnic midwest city. I've stayed because the people here are nice, neighborly, christian people who have a town in which there is a low crime rate in a beautiful setting. Notice that I said nothing about choosing the place because of its ethnic makeup. If you judge a place by the colors of the skin that you see, you are part of the problem. This filmmaker came to Harrison to further his own biased view, went out looking for interviews that furthered that view, and disregarded people that didn't support that view. The KKK is not supported in this community and Thom Robb and HIS PERSONAL opinions are an embarrasement to this community. Please don't judge our town by this. Come visit and then make your own opinion.

Thanks for sharing. I am not surprised that people still exist who think that "preserving their culture" is relevant and OK. Who boldly tell a black person who is interviewing them on film that the reason they moved there was the lack of black people. People who pass off their racist demonstrations as traditional Scottish ritual.

I live in a medium sized town in western Oregon. One thing I hear all the time from white folk here is that this town is not racist. That we're culturally diverse. How difficult would it be to find out how racism is perpetuated as a white person in a predominately white community.

It really bothers me when people say, "Its not that bad here" and "we're not racist" because they don't EVER interact with people who are not white. Just because you don't experience racism doesn't mean that its not there.

To all the above who said that Harrison is not a racist place to live, you should think about what you say. Maybe you hold some racist beliefs that you aren't aware of. If you don't interact with people of other cultures, races and ethnicities, HOW DO YOU KNOW? If you're not black and living there WHAT RIGHT do you have to make statements like that?

i've always thought of harrison as KKK HQ. i'm sure not EVERYBODY from there is hardcore racist like the pod makes it out to be, but unfortunately there are a few. honestly, where in america are you not going to find racism? that statement that one man made about keeping the town "pure" doesnt fly too well here...but in japan, for example, it would. i grew up in south east arkansas and comparing here and harrison is like night and day. i could not imagine growing up somewhere without black people! i've met a few northerners who say they've never been around black people till they came down here....so it's not just harrison, it's other places as well. i found it funny how little rock was the first to let african americans go to school with the white kids while harrison is trying to keep them out of their town [supposedly].

I was born in l94l, in Mississippi and I am shocked to see this pod. I was sure this was the distant past. I am apprehensive to vote for Obama because of rascism like this. We must change soon. How ironic that a black man is running for president of this country. The Klan is still alive and well according to this pod. Maybe we must vote for Hillary because of this rascism. We must have a change soon. Mr. McCain will lead us to more and more war. Wow, this is scary. one love, Hoy

Robb makes me sick. Did anyone notice the twisted laugh he made when asked if he burned any crosses lately? People like that are an embarrassment.

Thomas Robb and like-minded white trash make me embarrassed to be from Harrison. I love my town, and it is not a hostile environment for people of different ethnicities. Robb has no power to do anything other than to attempt to send out his little propoganda pamphlets...which are funny and sad at the same time if you ever get a hold of one...The truth is...if a black person and a white person were to come visit Harrison, the black person would most likely* be treated better than the white person because most people tend to overcompensate to help overcome the bad reputation.

scary

SOME TIMES PEOPLE DONT WANT TO FACE WHAT THEY SEE.THINK ABOUT IT.

The date of the show on PBS is the 19th. Not the 12th. You can find out more about it at this website:

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/

Great Video ! Hopefully one of many that addresses the unwritten story of Blacks being pushed out of hundreds of Southern towns.

and for the record-im from arkansas (well actually i moved her 5 years ago but) i think hillary clinton is two faced trash.

This addresses to all those people at the top.

Yes, Harrison DOES have racist people.
Yes, those people are probably low-life, ignorant trash.
BUT all of Harrison is NOT like that.

There are some blacks here.
That woman was not the last black person to live in Harrison.
Any black person to my knowledge is treated with as much respect and dignity as any other.

Before you jump to any conclusions about this town, relize that this video is very biased.

You can not make any conclusion to this video if you have not been there or know what it is like.

OBVIOUSLY anybody who has watched this video would "assume" like all of those people have who commented at the top that this town is made mostly of old racist people; which is just not the case.

None of those traditions have been carried out in harrison as long as I have lived there. (5 years)

They however do exist in the surrounding towns around us.

This video is not accurate at all.

NOT HARRISON.

jenn_muzk_frek

I support your opinion.

what the heck?! ok, ya know what? i've lived in harrison all my life. we are not a racist people. this video spins a story from just a few people. these few people do not hold up the opinions of the whole town. u can go to any town and find a couple racist people and make a video about those few and show it to the world and make everyone think that town is racist...geez...

Interesting but very sad... : (

I was born and raised in Harrison. i remember when they filmed this and came to my highschool it was like 5 years ago... this makes us look really really bad!! its not that bad of a place... its very baptist... but its really not this bad guys i promise! the people are really nice... it sux though because these things shadow the fact that people are working against the racism in this town too. there are black people that live ther! not a lot but a few. its not like there has never been any or they all died and that they are not allowed. thats dumb. those old farts have no control over who lives there! please dont let this scare you away from ever going there! the counrtyside is beautiful! Thomm Rob says that the population has gotten larger it has but its not because of him. it because of its location. the proximity to the lakes and rivers and even branson...its beautiful there. also the majority of the population isnt even old people its families young families. harrison has its history but so do you.

Burning crosses as a Scottish tradition? Please. This pod is fantastic in it's candid approach and straightforward analysis of the backwards town of Harrison. The music is a perfect underscore, and the characters in the piece are exactly who you would expect them to be. Excellent piece.

They should advertise that town and claim its racism proudly... So all the old farts can move there and let they're ignorant arrogance die off... then they'll be invisible..

February 12th. I'll be sure to watch the full length version. Very interesting topic.

you were never invisible...