Rob Bliss held up a Black Lives Matter sign on the side of a road in Harrison, Arkansas, home of the KKK and a city Bliss claims to be the most racist in the country, while he secretly recorded his experience.
If you know about the history of racism in the US, especially in the deep south, this won't surprise you, but the vitriolic reactions are still jarring to see first hand.
One thing that stands out for me is the most common refrain he hears, which asks why a white guy would take a stand for Black lives. They can’t seem to fathom why someone would care, no less make a public statement, on behalf of a group of which he’s not a part.
Racism is everywhere in the US. It’s just manifested and expressed in different ways. We’re lucky that journalists like Rob Bliss exist, who are willing to shine a light on the parts of America that we’d rather not acknowledge, at significant risk to their own personal safety.
He held a BLM sign in what he called ‘America’s most racist town.’ The result? A viral video of abuse.