Anti-Gay White Supremacists Sponsor Mississippi Schools

Ever heard of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC)? They're not quite as famous as, say, the Ku Klux Klan, but let's just say that the two groups probably play in the same softball league. Founded in the mid-1980s as a second coming of what used to be called White Citizens Councils, the CCC spreads what they consider a biblical belief that people of different races, different sexual orientations, and different religions should be segregated.

They say that mixing races is "rebelliousness against God." They say that black people are "genetically inferior" to white people. They call gay people "perverted sodomites." They call immigrants "a slimy brown mass of glop." And they complain about Jewish people being "power brokers."

Oh, and the CCC also raises boatloads of cash for two schools in Mississippi, Calhoun Academy and Carroll Academy, that are accredited through the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools. Forget reading, writing and arithmetic. These schools, which enroll students from Kindergarten to high school, are funding their programs with money from racists, homophobes, and anti-Semites. And the headmasters for both Calhoun and Carroll Academies? They refuse to condemn the racist and anti-gay positions that the CCC has, preferring instead to take money from the group and arguing that the CCC has the right to just feel how they feel.

Wow, what an example to set for those kids. Now why would the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools want to be accrediting schools with these kinds of shady ties?

So far, the Association has been mum, not responding to any queries from the Southern Poverty Law Center or Change.org. One would think, of course, that to be an accredited school in Mississippi, you'd have to adhere to a certain set of ethical standards that includes keeping groups who believe people of color are inferior to white people, that Jewish people are "power brokers," and that gay people are evil perverts away from students. But not so much. Instead, these schools are providing sanctuary for a Southern Poverty Law Center-dubbed hate group.

In fact, the CCC has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for these schools over the years, and regularly uses school property for their meetings. A recent barbecue by the CCC was held in honor of these academies, too, raising even more money.

And if all this combined wasn't enough to form a toxic mess, now comes a corporate tie. Remember how these two CCC-sponsored schools are accredited by the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools? Turns out there's a bevy of corporations donating to this Association, and their money and resources could be funneling right back to these white supremacist schools.

Those corporations include Wilson Sports, Mutual of Omaha, Russell Athletic, and Mississippi Farm Bureau Insurance. That's four corporations, giving money to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, who in turn give money and accreditation to two schools founded by and which have close ties with white supremacists. Ugly.

It's time to get the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, as well as these corporations, to take a serious look at the ties that both Calhoun and Carroll Academy have to the Council of Concerned Citizens. This is a group so motivated by racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism, that Thurgood Marshall once called them the "uptown Klan." This is a group with a Web site that calls homosexuality a "perversion," and a group that says black people are "the face of death."

For the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, the question is why are they accrediting schools that foster the beliefs and principles of white supremacy. For these corporations, it comes down to making sure their money isn't being funneled to the hands of people who hate gays, blacks, Jews, immigrants and anyone else that might be dubbed "the other."

Send a message now, and let's get some answers about why Calhoun and Carroll won't condemn the views of the CCC, and why the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (as well as all they're corporate backers) continue to legitimize schools funded by white supremacists.

Photo credit: akasped