Goodloe Sutton, the former editor of the Democrat-Reporter newspaper in Linden, Alabama, started a controversy with his editorial from Feb. 14 in which he wrote, “It’s time for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again.”
Sutton made a statement in response to a proposal by both Democrats and Republicans in Alabama’s state legislature to raise taxes. He also said, “If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out D.C., we would be better off.”
Sutton went on to state the KKK, “Didn’t kill but a few people and that the group was not violent until they needed to be.” He compared the NAACP to the KKK in that both groups want their respective racial group to gain success. Sutton divulged further and openly permitted people who disliked his comments to contact him or boycott reading the Democrat-Reporter if they so choose.
Dana Cooper, a graduate assistant in the journalism department at the University of Memphis, said she strongly feels like Sutton’s comments were based on the current political climate.
“He thought his editorial would have enough support among the residents of rural Alabama to offset any consequences,” Cooper said. “Now he has lost his position to a black woman, and I appreciate the fact that karma has given him a well-deserved kick in the pants.”
In 1998, Sutton was honored on the floor of Congress for his hard work and dedication as editor of the Democrat-Reporter. His work was recognized and commended by Earl F. Hilliard, who was the first person of color to represent the state of Alabama in Congress since Reconstruction. Hilliard publicly supported Sutton for consistently reporting the truth and standing up for justice and equality in May 1998, but the perception of the former editor and publisher has significantly changed because of the controversial and what many perceive to be racist comments.
Sen. Doug Jones (D-Alabama) criticized Sutton, stating, “I have seen what happens when we stand by while people, especially those with influence, publish racist, hateful views.” Jones also tweeted that Sutton should resign and be held accountable for his words.
Sutton, who has owned the paper since the 1980s, refused to be deterred from his original comments, but he did resign from his editor and publisher jobs, turning them over to Elecia Dexter, a black woman who previously worked as a front office clerk for the Democrat-Reporter.
Sutton remains the owner of the fledgling paper, which has reduced from 7,000 subscribers in 1998 to only 3,000 subscribers currently, but he no longer operates the paper on a day-to-day basis, having handed the reigns to Dexter.
Despite Sutton’s willingness to concede two of his previous roles at the paper, Kyland Evans, the president of the National Association of Black Journalists at the UofM, said the disgraced newspaper owner symbolizes the racial discord throughout the nation.
“It shows that we have not progressed as much as we think in this country when it comes to discrimination,” Evans said. “We have individuals in leadership that do not exemplify characteristics of unity, acceptance and compassion. As a result of this, we have people who feel emboldened to share their hateful thoughts in a public space.”
