When the overwhelmingly white Spencer Tigers hosted the mostly minority Storm Lake Tornadoes for a Jan. 19 basketball game, they were as hospitable as a Ku Klux Klan rally welcoming a Black Lives Matter group.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Spencer High School in Iowa is 91 percent white, while nearby Storm Lake High School has a population that is 84 percent nonwhite. The two rivals met in a much anticipated basketball game, marred by racist chants and taunts.
The student body’s “USA Night” just happened to coincide with their game against a high school that is majority Hispanic and has a diverse student body from around the world, including Africans and South Americans, mainly because of the job opportunities at a local Tyson Foods plant.
The Spencer fans, dressed in American flags, chanted, “USA!” and jingled key rings while screaming, “Lock your doors!” at the teenagers on the opposing team, according to the Globe Gazette.
Storm Lake Principal Beau Ruleaux said he had no idea what the keys meant, but he figured it probably had something to do with “not in our house.” Ruleaux must not have access to Twitter:
We have not verified this, but apparently, the only car ever stolen in Spencer was by black or brown people who play basketball. That explains everything. Also, imagine living in a town where people are so racist that you just assume they were being racist even if you don’t hear it!
If you’re wondering about the game, Spencer High, obviously buoyed by the racism of their fans, outscored Storm Lake 23-11 in the fourth quarter to secure a 63-50 victory. Or maybe the Storm Lake players were just worn out from the hate.
I know it makes me tired.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this post referred to comments reportedly made at an earlier football game featuring teams from both schools, not at the basketball game.
