H. K. Edgerton

H. K. Edgerton is an African-American activist for Southern heritage and an African-American member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He often is given a prominent place at rallies for the Confederate flag. A former president of the Asheville, North Carolina chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), he is on the board of the Southern Legal Resource Center.

Early life and education

Edgerton was born and grew up in North Carolina, where he has made his life.

Political activist

At one time, Edgerton worked for improving racial issues through the Asheville chapter of the NAACP, where he was elected as president. More recently, he advocate for sharing the true history of Southern heritage and attended rallies supporting display of the Confederate flag.

In December 1998, Edgerton was suspended from the NAACP; according to state officials of the organization, he was not complying with the organization's rules.

By 2000, Edgerton was appointed the chairman of the board of directors of the Southern Legal Resource Center, headed by Kirk Lyons, who has defended Confederates in court.[1] In a 2000 interview, Skip Alston, Executive Director of the North Carolina NAACP had questions about Edgerton's stand. Alston said that he had been considered "a true activist standing for what is right. I've often wondered what could cause him to do such things."

In 2009, Edgerton threatened a lawsuit regarding newly elected Asheville City Council Member Cecil Bothwell, on the basis that Bothwell's atheism rendered him ineligible to serve in North Carolina public office. [2] The Supreme Court has already held invalid religious affirmations required for public office, and the United States Constitution states in Article VI that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

Edgerton runs a personal website, SouthernHeritage411.com, that is a collection of materials expressing his views on Southern heritage. For instance, he claims that the Civil War had almost nothing to do with the issue of slavery.

In events to publicize his positions, Edgerton has made solo walks: in 2002 from North Carolina to Texas to build awareness of Southern heritage;[3] and in January 2009, when he walked from North Carolina to Washington, DC seeking "official U.S. government recognition of the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of Southern heritage" from the new administration.[4] He is unusual as one of the few African-American members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which features him at events.[4]

Media appearances

In May 2006 Edgerton advanced his theories about reparations on Penn and Teller's show Bullshit!.[5]

References

External links