EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said it wants to “express its utter outrage, disgust and righteous indignation” after images of individuals wearing Klu Klux Klan masks at a local gathering went viral on a popular social media site.
“The KKK hood is not a costume. It is an international symbol of white supremacy, racial terror,
systemic murder, and intimidation directed at Black Americans and marginalized communities.
To parade around in such symbols within the Sun City — a vibrant, diverse community built on
solidarity, resilience, and mutual respect — is an intolerable affront to every single resident of El
Paso,” the NAACP said in a statement sent out to local media on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The NAACP’s letter is in response to a post making the rounds on popular social media site FitFam. Here is a link where you can watch the post. Caution: People dressed up as the KKK may be highly offensive.
FitFam condemned the images it displayed, saying: “The KKK is a hate group focused on white supremacy. They view all non-white races as inferior, and have made it their mission to make life hell for non-whites — using violence, intimidation and even murder.
“Wearing these costumes not only shows that you’re uneducated incels — it shows that the KKK’s influence remains alive and it normalizes hateful behavior,” FitFam added.
Carl B. Dwyer, Jr., the president of the El Paso NAACP Branch, said: “Silence in the face of hatred is complicity. We refuse to remain silent while symbols of terror and white supremacy are
normalized or laughed off as harmless antics. The history behind the KKK hood represents
generations of violence, lynchings, and racial terror. Displaying it in our community is a direct
threat to our collective safety and dignity. We demand that every leader in this city step forward
immediately and denounce this unacceptable behavior in the strongest possible terms.”
The El Paso NAACP is calling upon “all elected officials, community leaders, faith leaders, and
civic advocates across El Paso County to stand up, speak out, and forcefully condemn
this shameful event.”
“El Paso has weathered profound tragedy in its recent history born from extremist hate, and our
community made a promise to reject racism in all its forms. This incident demonstrates that the
fight against hate is ongoing and requires unyielding vigilance,” the NAACP said.
The local NAACP said it will continue to “monitor this situation, engage with community stakeholders and advocate tirelessly for racial justice, safety and equity throughout our region.”
Local Pastor Michael Grady told KTSM that when he heard about some individuals dressing up as Klansmen here in El Paso, he said that was “learned behavior.”
“We’re not born with hatred. We’re not born with divisiveness. And so this learned behavior is because of what I believe the climate is in the nation.,” Grady said.
“This learned behavior is because of what I believe the climate is in the nation. Here in the United States, that there is a desire to take us back to the place of division and discrimination,” Grady added.
“These young people are acting out what they believe they have permission to,” Grady said, reiterating his message that this is learned behavior. “And I would love to sit down and ask what is their ulterior motive, because this is very dangerous. It again speaks to, again, the climate in the nation.”
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