While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in America, it seems one small group of white people in Arkansas is trying to bring it back full time. And shockingly, they’re looking to expand to other cities across the states.
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Return to the Land (RTTL) is a relatively new whites-only “private membership association (PMA) for individuals and families with traditional views and European ancestry,” according to its website. In 2023, RTTL founded its own private, rural neighborhood on 160 acres in the middle of the Ozarks, Ark.
In order to join the organization, applicants go through a strict process, which includes a video call to verify ethnic identity and family origin. In the end, only white Americans get to join the group and consequently the community in the Ozarks. This means, no Black, Jewish, LGBTQIA+ or mixed race people are allowed.
Eric Orwoll, who is the co-founder of RTTL, said they picked Arkansas as the founding location because of the “affordable land, natural beauty, abundant water resources and a conservative, predominantly white population.” And now, they have plans to develop more whites-only neighborhoods.
“We want to ensure that White Americans who value their ancestry will have the ability to live among like-minded people in the future if they choose to do so, regardless of demographic changes,” Orwoll said, according to Fox 2 News. “We’d like for a network of communities, community centers and recreational areas to be available to our members that affords them opportunities to celebrate their heritage with their folk.”
When asked if RTTL is bringing back segregation, Orwoll told Sky News, “Well, I mean you don’t let everyone into your home.” RTTL has hundreds of members across the world but only 40 in Arkansas. Now, Orwoll has expressed interest in creating another settlement in Springfield, Ohio.
According to the RTTL website, the organization is also in the planning stages of increasing developments in the deep south, the Appalachian region, and further into the Midwest– including in Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois.
Orwoll told Sky News everything they’re doing in Arkansas is completely legal. In fact, the co-founder said they’ve invested “tens of thousands of dollars in legal research” to ensure they’re not violating any equality laws. Although, experts deny this, according to Sky News.
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