Baker County Courthouse mural shows KKK positively; was painted in 2001

[Tacachale]

n Baker County, is a courthouse mural racist or accurate history?
By Andrew Pantazi Thu, Jul 16, 2015 @ 3:34 pm | updated Thu, Jul 16, 2015 @ 4:06 pm

MACCLENNY | On the dark edge of the center panel in a giant mural, tucked behind trees and behind a red bird, three men in white sheets ride their dark horses into the shadows of the woods.
This 135-square-foot mural greets all who walk into the county building that houses the courthouse on the second floor and government offices on the first. It tracks the county's history from the woolly mammoths to the year 2000. And 12 1/2 years after its depiction of Ku Klux Klan riders first sparked controversy, a Jacksonville attorney wants the mural taken down.

The controversy leads to questions without answers: How do people remember the bad parts of history? What is inherently offensive? What isn't?

The answer is in the eye of the beholder.

John Phillips, a Jacksonville civil attorney known for taking on high-profile lawsuits, said the mural does not pass his smell test. He called it offensive and said it should be taken down.

Many people in Baker County, though, think differently.

MURAL'S HISTORY

Eugene Barber, a founding member of the county's historical society, painted the mural with 43 vignettes in 2001. He wrote an accompanying historical guide to the mural, and he gave a guestbook so people could offer their opinions.

When the county newspaper first unveiled the mural, then-Eighth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Stan Morris said he didn't want criminal defendants to face depictions of the Klan while they awaited trials. Even if the depiction is historical, the Gainesville judge said, the Klan contradicts the mission of the court: fair justice.

The leaders moved the mural to the first floor where it now faces the entry doors.

As chief judge, Morris said, he had the right to dictate what was displayed outside the courtrooms. He understands why his order upset people in the county. He was an outsider from Gainesville, and they had spent money and effort on the painting.

"It's their business where it is now," said Morris. "It's their depiction of their county. I think they have the right to their opinion, too."

...

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2015-07-16/story/baker-county-courthouse-mural-racist-or-accurate-history

[Tacachale]

Here's how the artist explained the choice to include a positive depiction of the KKK in the work:

When the group known as the "Radical Republicans" gained control of the state in 1868, the Reconstruction program took an unpleasant turn. ... The reversed order was severely resented by a large segment of the white population. Lawlessness among ex-slaves and troublesome whites was the rule of the day. No relief was given by the carpetbag and scalawag government or by the Union troops. The result was the emergence of secret societies claiming to bring law and order to the county. One of these groups was the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that sometimes took vigilante justice to extremes but was sometimes the only control the county knew over those outside the law. The Klan faded from view at the end of Reconstruction. It had minor come-backs in the 1920's and mid 1950's. Since then it has become the subject of legend rather than a cause of fear.

[Tacachale]

There's a change.org petition:

Remove the painting in the Baker County Courthouse depicting the Ku Klux Klan and other divisive imagery

Florida Justice

A mural in the Baker County, Florida Courthouse shows horse-backed, hooded members of the Ku Klux Klan as apart of the "Baker County historical perspective." It stands larger than life as the first thing you see in the county's halls of justice. It even has its own "sign in" book, which includes supportive statements for the KKK.

There are also depictions of blacks as naked and aboriginal with spear-imagery that never existed in Baker County. We see three hooded Klansmen on horseback amongst flowers and wildlife. Even the artist's own description of the scene shows his denial of the true horror inflicted by the KKK:

...

https://www.change.org/p/baker-county-board-of-commissioners-remove-the-painting-in-the-baker-county-courthouse-depicting-the-ku-klux-klan-and-other-divisive-imagery

[mbwright]

I knew Gene Barber personally.  His family was one of the early settlers in the area.  He was also the historian for the area.  The Klan, is in the picture.  I am not sure how this inclusion is considered 'positively'.  It was part of the history of Baker County, whether you like it or not.  I am not in defense of the Klan, but being historically accurate is important.  He was a wonderful artist.

[Tacachale]

^Yes, the mural as a whole is very impressive. For those who haven't seen it, here's a picture of what the Klansmen look like:



I expect the real issue with this threefold: It just shows the Klansmen looking all gallant on horseback, without commenting on the group's real legacy of racial violence; Barber's artist statement totally downplays that legacy, gives an inaccurate account of the Klan's history in Baker County; and this is in the County Courthouse, where anyone brought to trial will see it.

[Downtown Osprey]

I don't see a reason to remove the entire piece. It's a pretty impressive mural. Can't they find a way to shade out the deception of the Klan? Just my opinion.

[Adam White]

Maybe they should remove it because it's ugly folk art and not worth sitting in a courthouse. Just my opinion, of course.

[Crabernacle]

The Klan, is in the picture.  I am not sure how this inclusion is considered 'positively'.

From the artist:

Here's how the artist explained the choice to include a positive depiction of the KKK in the work:

When the group known as the "Radical Republicans" gained control of the state in 1868, the Reconstruction program took an unpleasant turn. ... The reversed order was severely resented by a large segment of the white population. Lawlessness among ex-slaves and troublesome whites was the rule of the day. No relief was given by the carpetbag and scalawag government or by the Union troops. The result was the emergence of secret societies claiming to bring law and order to the county. One of these groups was the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that sometimes took vigilante justice to extremes but was sometimes the only control the county knew over those outside the law. The Klan faded from view at the end of Reconstruction. It had minor come-backs in the 1920's and mid 1950's. Since then it has become the subject of legend rather than a cause of fear.

Yep, that certainly sounds like southern apologia. 

[Tacachale]

One of the previous chief judges removed the piece outside of the courtroom section of the county building. According to the FTU article, he didn't want defendants having to stare at a picture of Klansmen - extra-judicial vigilante killers - before they came in to a place that was supposed to dispense legal justice. It was moved to the bottom floor of the building, where the government offices are.

They could solve the entire just by having someone paint over the Klansmen, or better, having a more accurate depiction of the Klan, such as American troops putting them to flight under the 1871 Anti-Klan Act. Or, you know, the real history of Reconstruction, such as blacks voting for the first time.

[Adam White]

One of the previous chief judges removed the piece outside of the courtroom section of the county building. According to the FTU article, he didn't want defendants having to stare at a picture of Klansmen - extra-judicial vigilante killers - before they came in to a place that was supposed to dispense legal justice. It was moved to the bottom floor of the building, where the government offices are.

They could solve the entire just by having someone paint over the Klansmen, or better, having a more accurate depiction of the Klan, such as American troops putting them to flight under the 1871 Anti-Klan Act. Or, you know, the real history of Reconstruction, such as blacks voting for the first time.

I agree. I think removing the Klan is the best option.

[simms3]

Remove it.  Honestly, why keep it at this point?

[thelakelander]

Wow. Even though it's been 15 years ago, it's kind of crazy to think in 2000, someone would include the klan on a county courthouse mural.

[simms3]

^^Welcome to northern FL?  Baker County is so podunk that I'm sure it's not even a thought over there...the mural had a chance encounter with one person who cared and was bothered by it, perhaps the only person in the county at the time even aware of national movements against these things.

A friend of mine on FB from central FL just posted a video of a highway near Ocala or Lakeland or somewhere around there where there must have been hundreds of trucks and SUVs stopped before an exit, each one proudly carrying the confederate flag.  Honestly, to me, it was terrifying and exactly why I tend to avoid travel to entire regions of the country where this sort of thing exists (including my own hometown of Jax), but I had other friends on FB that seemed to view the video favorably (which is even more terrifying).

What's crazier is that it took about a million shootings and tragedies in the past 2 years for this to even be considered an issue, and you STILL have people that want to keep the flags (which apparently aren't even the actual confederate flags) and stuff like this, because "history".

Speaking of, does that HUGE confederate flag still fly at the intersection of I-4 and I-75?

[coredumped]

What's crazier is that it took about a million shootings and tragedies in the past 2 years for this to even be considered an issue, and you STILL have people that want to keep the flags (which apparently aren't even the actual confederate flags) and stuff like this, because "history".

Yes, and now that the flags are gone we can say racism has finally ended :/ There will always be racists, banning a flag has only increased the sales of it, that's all.

Speaking of, does that HUGE confederate flag still fly at the intersection of I-4 and I-75?

Yes, and it's private property so he/she has the right to fly the flag. As long as it's not on gov. property then I see no problem with it.

[Adam White]

Speaking of, does that HUGE confederate flag still fly at the intersection of I-4 and I-75?

Yes, and it's private property so he/she has the right to fly the flag. As long as it's not on gov. property then I see no problem with it.

I think Simms was just asking if it's still there. No one has argued those douchebags can't fly the flag.