Redneck Shop
Encyclopedia
The Redneck Shop is a white nationalism and neo-Nazi
clothing store in Laurens, South Carolina
, which sells T-shirts, bumper stickers, and Ku Klux Klan
robes, among other things. It is run by Maryland
native John Howard, who describes himself as a former Klan leader.
The building also features a "Klan Museum" in a back room. It is decorated with posters of President Warren G. Harding
, who some allege was a Klan member, though many historians refute this.
civil rights leader and Baptist pastor. The shop has acquired a great deal of publicity due to this unusual arrangement.
The building was formerly owned by Michael Burden, who was himself a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan. However, Burden found himself impoverished
after leaving the KKK. Burden then approached Kennedy and apologized for his racist past, agreeing to sell Kennedy the deed to the Redneck Shop with the provision that Howard would be allowed to run the shop until his death. Kennedy accepted the deal.
In 1996, a white man from West Columbia, South Carolina
, drove his van into the Redneck Shop as a protest against the store's racism. Kennedy said that he later told the man that, while he obviously does not agree with Howard's views, he does not feel that violence is an appropriate response.
' World Congress. Also, in 2008, neo-Nazi John Taylor Bowles utilized the building as the headquarters for his 2008 presidential campaign.
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
clothing store in Laurens, South Carolina
Laurens, South Carolina
Laurens is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,916 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Laurens County.-History:...
, which sells T-shirts, bumper stickers, and Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
robes, among other things. It is run by Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
native John Howard, who describes himself as a former Klan leader.
The building also features a "Klan Museum" in a back room. It is decorated with posters of President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, who some allege was a Klan member, though many historians refute this.
Building ownership
The shop is located in a downtown Laurens building that formerly housed the Echo Theater. The building is currently owned by the Rev. David Kennedy, a blackAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
civil rights leader and Baptist pastor. The shop has acquired a great deal of publicity due to this unusual arrangement.
The building was formerly owned by Michael Burden, who was himself a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan. However, Burden found himself impoverished
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
after leaving the KKK. Burden then approached Kennedy and apologized for his racist past, agreeing to sell Kennedy the deed to the Redneck Shop with the provision that Howard would be allowed to run the shop until his death. Kennedy accepted the deal.
In 1996, a white man from West Columbia, South Carolina
West Columbia, South Carolina
West Columbia is a city in Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 13,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, drove his van into the Redneck Shop as a protest against the store's racism. Kennedy said that he later told the man that, while he obviously does not agree with Howard's views, he does not feel that violence is an appropriate response.
As a meeting place for white supremacists
In addition to selling merchandise, the Redneck Shop has also been used as a meeting place for white supremacists; in 2006, it was the headquarters for the Aryan NationsAryan Nations
Aryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
' World Congress. Also, in 2008, neo-Nazi John Taylor Bowles utilized the building as the headquarters for his 2008 presidential campaign.