Polk Shall Rise Again?
6/17/2007
Polk City is a tense place to live. Tensions based on class and race threatens to consume the city. Polk has a per capita income of just $15,000 and most residents depend on agricultural concerns for their livelihood. Those who live and work in the city are taxed at a higher rate than those who work only in the city.
Polk features the Confederate battle emblem on its city flag. The city of 7,000 people is almost 33 percent minority, yet those who support the emblem say it honors the heritage of the majority of people in town. “That symbol reflects the pride we have for our ancestors who fought for the lost cause, not any current hatred for folks of color,” said Curtis McLean, a 50 year resident of Polk whose great-great-grandfather served as a sergeant in the Confederate army.
Minority advocates, however, note that the Ku Klux Klan have filed a permit to march through the city’s downtown later this week. Taken along with the battle flag, some leaders say that it’s becoming harder to tolerate. “We have a right to live in this city without fear. We have a right to be treated as equals in this city. The Confederate cause and the Ku Klux Klan were not committed to those ideals,” said community activist Mark Beverly. “We demand the City Council deny the KKK a permit to march here, and we will make life difficult for them if that does not happen. We would also like to see that emblem of hate removed from our flag, and the city does not want to see who we can bring out to fight this.”
A new city council is expected to vote on the KKK’s permit later this week. No city officials were available for comment.