I have no problem with it being on top of the Duke boys "
General Lee", but what about being displayed &
honored on the grounds of a public high school? Such is the case at Allen Central High School in Eastern Kentucky, where if you visit you will see
this....
The welcome sign at Allen Central High School is home to a grinning Confederate soldier, proudly waving a banner bearing the St. Andrew's cross of the Confederate battle flag. The courtyard nearby is composed of blue brick that forms the cross and a mural in the lobby pays homage to another rebel soldier, this one carrying the flag on horseback.
More rebel soldiers and Confederate flags cover the same walls that hold posters touting academic achievement, fundraising drives and notable attendance of the all-white student body.
As usual the fans of the Confederate flag claim heritage, but take a look at this money quote....
"To us it's not about the hatred," said Tiffany Owens, an 18-year-old cheerleader at Allen Central High School in eastern Kentucky. "I have colored friends around here and they never say anything."
Indeed, the students at this rural school in Kentucky are willing to risk their image to keep the Confederate emblems they say symbolize nothing more than strength, independence and pride...."It's our tradition," said Charles Randolph, 18. "If I was black, it probably would bother me. But if they can understand it wasn't put toward them in hatred, it wouldn't be an issue."
And what about the school board, principal or the community in general?
Mickey McGuire, the one who criticized Allen Central's school flag and mascot, felt outnumbered. No one else on the five-member board, which has no black members, has spoken up. "I really don't think those people intended it in a racial way, but these are children who don't realize how racially sensitive that flag is," McGuire said. "They have no sensitivity toward what black people feel about that flag."
Lorena Hall, principal at Allen Central, said every few years, someone like McGuire will "stir the pot" about the Confederate symbols. But her school won't budge. "It has nothing to do with racism," said Hall. "It's a part of us."
The school should be applauded for standing by its flag and mascot, especially when so many schools are steering away from Confederate symbols, said T.Y. Hiter, division commander for the Eastern Kentucky Brigade of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
"It has nothing to do with race except in the minds of those who think it does," Hiter said. "This is an atypical situation," he added. "We usually deal with situations where schools are trying to restrict the rights of students who want to display the flag. Here, the school is taking the lead of displaying their heritage."
That last sentence defies all logic for a couple of reasons. One, Kentucky, even though it was a border state, never seceded from the Union. The Confederacy invaded in 1862, claimed the state & had established a rival state government, but the "official" government of Kentucky stayed loyal to the Union. Secondly, the "Southern Cross" was the naval jack of the Confederacy, not the official flag. Georgia went through a controversy some years back when it removed the Confederate flag from the state flag, but the flag they have now is actually closer to the original Confederate flag.
How do African American children feel about the flag of the Confederacy?
The black students who have encountered Allen Central's school spirit don't accept such views, though they do little to fight back. "It really makes me mad," said Ted Honaker, one of two dozen black students at Pikeville High School, about 25 miles away.
The 17-year-old plays basketball against Allen Central and says he's sick of looking at Confederate flags in the stands when the two teams face off. The only thing that bothers him more is the assumption that the black students don't care about the displays.
"It brings back slavery and what happened to my ancestors," said Honaker. Despite his feelings, Honaker and his twin brother, Tim, don't lash out. "I mean, what good would it really do?" Tim Honaker said.
The school is in Floyd County, Kentucky. African American students make up only 33 of the 6,348 students in the county. Of those 33 that might attend Allen Central, they have to sit in a lunchroom that looks like this....
You can see more pics like this by visiting Allen Central's website....