A member of one infamous gang, the Memphis Grape Street Crips, heard about an upcoming KKK rally and decided to take a stand against it. The leader of another infamous gang, the United Klan of America, decided to stand with the Crips and to protest the rally. According to a Mar. 1 CBS news article, Dajuan Horton is the Crips member who heard about the rally and decided on a violence-free reaction. Bradley Jenkins is the Imperial Wizard for the United Klan of America. He claims the rally involved a KKK group who are not true members of the Klan. He also said that hate was not part of the KKK agenda.
In an unprecedented collaboration, Jenkins offered to work with Horton, who produced and posted a YouTube video and contacted a local News station. The video showed 1,766 views on Mar. 2.
Jenkins said, "“We will stand resolute with the citizens of Memphis and this young man and anyone in town, no matter what color they be, because hate and racism has no place.”
Horton said, "The first thing I was thinking was the largest rally you've even seen and you're telling us about it. You're sending the first blow, we're not throwing blows we're going to dodge that one and hug you."
He said his fellow gang members are cold to the idea and that he is still appealing for their nonviolent support when the rally occurs on March 30.
According to a Feb. 26 Huffington Post article, the city granted a rally permit so the KKK group could protest renaming of three city parks that honor controversial Confederate leaders.
Memphis intends to rename Nathan Bedford Forrest Park, Jefferson Davis Park and Confederate Park. Forrest was a slave trader, Confederate cavalryman and member of the earliest Klan organization.
If Horton and Jenkins are successful, their peaceful counter protest will be a strange, yet beneficial collaboration.
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