Years later hate still trying to sprout roots


Above, Cliff Duncan stands on a ladder while hanging a banner in 1982 in Wilmington. A planned KKK rally brought out many locals in opposition to the racist group. Below, another banner that was displayed by anti-KKK protestors. The banner points out some of the racial injustices are still flash points today. File photo

“Hate does not grow well in the rocky soil of Vermont.”
That slogan was first coined in 1982, as the Ku Klux Klan was readying for a rally in Wilmington. How the people around the valley responded to that rally, by counter-protesting the KKK with a large, peaceful showing of force, has become one of the defining moments of Deerfield Valley history. By the end of that May weekend the Klan organizers had been sent scurrying from the area and local organizers and police showed how peaceful, organized response can lead to the triumph of tolerance and love over division and hate.

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The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

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