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WILKES-BARRE — Although the walk local religious and community leaders are planning is much shorter than the nearly 900-mile journey set to end in the nation’s capital next week, it’s no less important and aimed to counter recruitment by the Ku Klux Klan.
Fliers that surfaced within the past few weeks throughout the city and media coverage of them raised concerns for Angel Jirau, head of the Spanish American Leaders Serving All, and others to the point that they scrapped plans to travel to Washington, D. C., where they would have participated in the conclusion of the NAACP-led trek from Selma, Alabama, focusing on voting rights.
“That kicked it off,” Jirau said.
The local walk will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Public Square and proceed to the Luzerne County Courthouse, where speakers will note the historical role marchers in Selma played in the passage of the Voting Rights Act 50 years ago and “where we’re going now,” Jirau said.
“We have to remember that what started that in Selma is the same things we’re now seeing in our town, where hate starts emerging itself and we have to address this as quickly as possible in the most positive way,” Jirau said Wednesday.
The KKK’s plea to “Help us fight white racism, illegal immigration and terrorism” has the potential to erode the progress made in promoting diversity, Jirau contended. The community has to stand up and not allow the group’s rhetoric to divide people of different races and ethnic groups, he said.
“Any time you get people and we can rally them in numbers and it’s visible to those who want to divide us, it weakens them and gives us strength,” Jirau said.
The group focused on Wilkes-Barre, knowing there are some people who blame outsiders who’ve moved to the area for the crime and violence reported in the news, Jirau said, using the Sherman Hills apartment complex as an example.
“Whatever happens at Sherman Hills, it’s not just an incident but there’s a shooting, now it’s ‘those people, those people of color.’ And that rhetoric is said too often; it gives those, the Klan and other members of hate, (an opportunity) to emerge and try to separate those who want to follow and believe that,” Jirau said.
But Wilkes-Barre resident Joe Mulligan disputed Jirau’s comment that the group is spreading hate. Mulligan responded to a phone message left at the hotline number on the flier connected to the East Coast Knights of the True Invisible Empire. The 28-year-old Mulligan said he is the “Imperial Kladd” or organizer for the group.
“It’s not a message of hate. It’s a message of love,” Mulligan said.
“We’re looking for other pro-white, Christian men and women to join our ranks,” he said. Since he and others circulated the fliers, between 15 and 20 people responded to the hotline number, saying they appreciated what the group is doing, Mulligan said. Only one hate message was left, he said.
Mulligan said he joined the group because he “was just sick of how the area changed and a lot of the black on white violence going on.” He is not alone, he said, and others locally have joined the group.
There is nothing in the works any time soon by the group, but “we would like to plan a cross lighting in the area,” Mulligan said.
Participants in the walk next week will include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and local religious leaders who joined Jirau in advocating for diversity training of Wilkes-Barre police officers. The department is planning a pilot program for its officers.
“People have very little understanding about diversity cultural training in this area,” Jirau said.
The local leaders also plan to meet Thursday with Dave Janoski, managing editor of the Citizens’ Voice newspaper, as a follow-up to a meeting last week Jirau and Wilkes-Barre NAACP president Larry Singleton had with newspaper staff. Jirau said they want to discuss the paper’s use of a photo of a hooded Klansman on the front page of the Aug. 26 edition. Janoski confirmed a private meeting is scheduled.
“All I can say since that article’s come out, I’ve heard people’s language in public that’s appalling,” Jirau said.
He added that he’s heard about the reactions of people seeing the photo and “how this story has affected their lives and brought back memories from years and years back.”