On the Thursday, July 26 edition of “Eye on Hate” radio, again featured a lengthy discussion of the upcoming white supremacist rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Cochran, who is a former member of the Aryan Nations who left the racist movement in the early 1990s, dedicates his show to exposing organized racists.
He set the context for the program by explaining that Michigan has around 20 identifiable white supremacist groups and that they are a part of what is essentially a “flourishing” movement around the country. Cochran explained that organized white supremacy in Michigan can be traced back to the late 1920s with Father Charles Coughlin who hosted a racist radio program. The Klan and neo-Nazi groups maintained a low-level presence until the 1960s according to Cochran, when a man named Bob Miles of Howell–who was connected with Aryan Nations–was eventually convicted for bombing school busses in an effort to stop desegregation. After Miles death in the early 1990s Cochran asserted that he thought the movement had waned, but in recent years there has been an upsurge in activity with leaders like James Wickstrom, neo-Nazis in Cadillac, Michigan, and a national rally in Lansing.
Cochran explained that the tactic of attacking “black on white” crime has been effective one for white supremacists in terms of getting them media coverage at past rallies. He emphasized that Turner–who is the main organizer of the rally–is dangerous in that he encourages violence but that he himself is not violent. He argued that the rally will be entirely surrounded by police, but that the bigger threat to the community might be neo-Nazi organizer Bill White who has also announced that he is coming to Kalamazoo. Cochran expressed concern that White might take his “activism” to the streets. In the past, this has included a variety of stunts designed to gain media attention–especially the marching of racists through neighborhoods of color. Cochran argued that anti-racists in Kalamazoo must have a plan for dealing with White if he attempts to march through an African-American neighborhood in Kalamazoo. Cochran also explained that when he was a racist organizer, the white supremacist groups with whom he worked rarely returned to areas where they were directly opposed and instead focused on areas where little challenge was made to their organizing efforts. He further stressed the importance of organizing for the long-term and not just focusing on the fourth of August.
Cochran reminded his audience that this was the third time that Turner has organized a rally against so-called “black on white” crime. Two previous rallies–dubbed “flops” by Cochran were held in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the first of these two rallies one of the speakers for the Kalamazoo event–Alex Linder–was arrested. Both events were overshadowed by protests organized by the Knoxville Anti-Racist Action and other groups.
Related posts:
- Kalamazoo White Supremacist Event Featured on “Eye on Hate” Radio
- Michigan Against White Supremacy Organizes to Stop Racist Rally in Kalamazoo
- Racist Rally in Kalamazoo Part of Pattern of Organized Racism in Michigan
- Kalamazoo Gazette Calls on People to Ignore Racist Rally while Ignoring the Groups Organizing It
- Racist to Kalamazoo: “Maybe its time… to spay an neuter blacks”
