KKK fliers distributed in Rowan County

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 22, 2015

By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — A number of residents were surprised Monday morning when they spotted apparent KKK fliers and a bag of white rice in their driveways and front lawns, some next to their morning newspapers.

The flier, which is a black and white photocopy, says Merry Christmas from the East Coast Knights of the True Invisible Empire, a branch of the Ku Klux Klan. The flier goes on to say, “Please keep Christ in Christmas this year and be proud of your race and religion. Stand strong together as other races do. We need you to help us bring back good ways and morals to ensure a safe and secure future for our children and grandchildren. Join the klan today and preserve the white Christian ways.”

An image of a hooded man carrying what appears to be Christmas presents in an American flag bag is at the bottom of the flier with the words Merry White Christmas underneath it. There’s also an image of a family inside a house with Santa Claus waving at what seems to be Jesus Christ outside. The flier also has the Bible verse Luke 2:9-11.

Granite Quarry Police Chief Mark Cook said a resident brought a flier to the station that had been left on her property, left near her newspaper in a Ziploc bag with white rice inside.

“It appears the only ones out were those that received a newspaper at the home,” Cook said.

He has informed his officers to be on the lookout for the person or persons disseminating the fliers.

Earlier this year, similar fliers were distributed in Brunswick County. In that incident, the bags of rice and fliers were a way to recruit. The fliers distributed in Granite Quarry are also a recruitment tool, according to the East Coast Knights of the True Invisible Empire website.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.