Residents of a predominantly Black neighborhood in Florida say they were shocked when they woke up to find Ku Klux Klan fliers scattered across their yards on Monday.
“I am absolutely and totally offended that someone at a time like this would come into this community and distribute this type of literature,” a local pastor told WOFL of the disturbing discovery.
According to ABC-affiliate WFTV.com, the fliers had been part of a recruiting campaign by a KKK group from North Carolina. The group has reportedly distributed hundreds of these recruiting fliers – emblazoned with the words “Our Race Is Our Nation” – in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., this past week.
KKK leader Robert Jones told WFTV.com that the group had delivered the fliers at night and had no idea the neighborhood they visited was mostly Black.
But resident Timothy Washington, who found a flier in front of his house this week, said he believes the historically Black neighborhood was singled out.
“The west side is where the Black neighborhood is and I guess they targeted it,” he told WOFL.
New Smyrna police say they received several complaints from outraged residents regarding the fliers. Authorities told CBS-affiliate WKMG-TV, however, that the pamphlets are protected under free speech.
