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| FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | forsythnews.com
Trooper reflects on iconic photo
Image of child circulates online
By Jest Gill
FCN regional staff
The photograph has traveled
through social media sites and
articles, touching hearts while
evoking memories of a racially
charged, not-too-distant era in
Hall County's history.
It shows a young child, dressed
in white Ku Klux Klan hood and
robe, touching his reflection in a
riot shield carried by a black
Georgia State Patrol trooper dur
ing a rally in downtown
Gainesville on Sept. 5, 1992.
The now-retired trooper, Allen
Campbell, with his hands firmly
planted on top of the shield, is
staring down at the child, no par
ticular expression on his face.
“Me and this kid, neither one,
made a choice to be here,”
Campbell said, recalling his
thoughts at that moment during
an interview Tuesday. “The state
patrol made me come, and his
mom and daddy brought him.”
That day, uneventful in other
ways, was revisited by Campbell
and Todd Robertson, the freelanc
FROM 1A
Conditions that went along with the
board’s vote included: no dogs outside
overnight; a limit on the number of dogs
and cars; and size restrictions for the mon
ument sign.
Several nearby residents, including
those in the Cardinal Springs subdivision,
felt the kennel concept was not appropri
ate for the area and asked the board to
deny the request.
Though the property is zoned agricultur
al, David Oles said it is used only for resi
dential purposes and is in a residential area.
“There are a lot of people in there that
are very vested in their homes and take
good care of their homes,” Oles said. “We
like the character of our community, and
we have a great deal of concern that this is
going to bring commercial traffic and
business that’s not going to be conducive
|V MY LITTLE VALENTINE ® MY LITTLE VALENTINE ™ MY LITTLE VALENTINI 'I
PR R R ERESAEeAe AR A ——T™™™™™™™3
W_ XY ATTENTIONTOALL PARENTS
Here’s a chance to make a child especially
happy! Your little Valentine will be thrilled to
' see his or her picture in the newspaper, and
u it gives you the chance to “brag” just a littie
M el bit! Don’t miss the opportunity to show
Isabella Moctezuma them just how much you LYVE them in a
Actual Size: 1/4"x1%" umque way!
Send or bring us a cute photo of your
child or grandchild...
We'll place it in the paper and include the
child’s name and the parents or grand
parents names.
YOUR “LITTLE VALENTINE”
WILL APPEAR IN THE FORSYTH ‘
COUNTY NEWS ON THURSDAY, |
FEBRUARY 14th, 2013.
But you'll have to HURRY, because
we must have the photos by Friday,
February Bth py 5:00 p.m. ‘
*
Picture
* Limit of 2 children, A larger size is
available for 3 or more children for $19.00
Must Appear In The Same Photo
Forsyth County News *
o e S
|V MY LITTLE VALENTINE ®MY LITTLE VALENTINE® MY LITTLE VALENTINE VI
er who shot the picture for The
Times, as they met with reporters
at the patrol’s Post 6 at 2000
Cleveland Highway in north Hall
— where Campbell served
throughout his 30-year career.
The two hadn’t met since the
photo was shot. Since then, the
picture has circulated overseas
and has grabbed the attention of
the Southem Poverty Law Center
in Montgomery, Ala,, and such
TV networks as NBC and
History Channel.
“Probably six months ago, it
started showing up more and
more on [social media sites] and
as soon as someone would see it,
they would share it,” said
Robertson, who hung up the
camera and has worked at a
Gainesville cabinet shop since
the mid-19905.
Campbell, now living in
Gillsville, was unaware of the
hubbub.
“I watch the news every night,
but I'm not on the Internet very
much,” he said.
Robertson brought Campbell a
color print of the photo —it ran
to maintaining the character of that area
over a long period of time.”
He cited traffic safety concerns on the
narrow, rural road, potential impact to a
stream and watershed, noise issues and
concerns for safety of neighborhood chil
dren.
Adam Gabriel, who lives closest to the
proposed kennel, worried about the
impact to his home value.
“Who would want to have a dog kennel
in their back yard?” he asked.
The discussion among the neighbors
and the planning board spanned nearly an
hour before the district’s appointed repre
sentative made a motion to recommend
the permit be approved.
Pam Bowman included eight conditions
with her suggestion to grant the request,
which she prefaced with her reasoning.
“We have to base our recommendations
on land use legal requirements,” Bowman
said. “It does go on to the board of com
missioners and you all need to do your
due diligence between now and then.”
FILL OUT THIS COUPON AND
MAIL OR BRING WITH PHOTO
CHILD'S FIRST & LAST NAME(S)
(] eunenms) on [ cmanomanents aves)
(Names of parents or grandparents will be published, not both)
Now- -
Please include $15.00 or $19.00
(check or money order) with each
photo. Please clearly print name of
child (or children) on the back of the
photograph. Parents include
telephone number. Include a self
addressed stamped envelope and we
will return your photo. Other photos
will be kept on file in our office
for two months. Or email to
spowell@forsythnews.com.
All major credit cards are accepted.
THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
302 Veterans Memorial Bivd.
Cumming, GA 30040
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Todd Robertson for the FCN
The original photo published
in The Times in 1992 shows
Georgia State Trooper Allen
Campbell and a child
dressed in a KKK outfit.
in black and white inside the
Sept. 6 paper — and showed him
some other pictures of the rally,
including some of the child,
known only as Josh and whose
whereabouts today aren’t known.
At the time, racial tensions
were at the forefront in the area.
The KKK was holding its third
m | CONSTRUCTION
A JOINT VERNTURE
!
FORSYTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND DETENTION CENTER
OPEN HOUSE
Turner / Winter will host an Open House to discuss the Forsyth County Courthouse and
Detention Center Project on February 6", 2013 starting at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at the Forsyth
Conference Center (3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd, Cumming, GA 30041). Craftsmen and
Subcontractors with an interest in hearing how to participate in the project are encouraged to
attend. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
About the project: Plans call for the total project to include the Detention Center at
approximately 191,050 sf of new space, the courthouse at approximately 158,395 sf of new
space, and parking for approximately 758 vehicles. Plans also anticipate a bridge connection
between the Courthouse and Detention Center to allow safe and efficient transport of inmates
and renovations to the existing Courthouse. Construction to start in July 2013.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Gary Chichester (gchichester@tcco.com; Fax 404-504-
3719) no later than Monday, February 4™ at 2:00 PM.
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Forsyth County News
Sunday, February 3rd SoutH ForsytH NEwWS
Wednesday, February 6th DawsonCommunityNews
' Friday, February Bth Forsyth County News
Space & Copy Deadline:
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Call 770-205-8960 for more
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annual Labor Day rally in
Gainesville.
In January 1987, a civil rights
march in Forsyth County, led by
the late Rev. Hosea Williams,
turned violent as counter protest
ers threw rocks and bottles at the
bus carrying the group.
A week later, the protesters
returned, numbering in the thou
sands and carrying of host of
well-known faces, including the
Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Sens.
Sam Nunn and Wyche Fowler.
Campbell recalled being par
ticularly “ticked off” about work
ing the Labor Day rallies in
“It’s the last holiday of the sum
mer. We all get together, have a
barbecue and adult beverages, and
have a good time,” Campbell said.
“But here I am, at a Klan rally in
Gainesville, Ga., protecting the
rights of Ku Klux Klan"
He considers the encounter
with the child — and the photo
that followed — as pure “hap
penstance.”
“I never saw [Robertson] take
the picture, never knew it existed
until it showed up in the newspa
per,” Campbell said. *... I didn't
even see the kid, didn’t know he
was there. I was thinking about
Promote gifts,
services and
specials for
Valentines Day!
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2013 I
my Labor Day weekend being
ruined and I felt something
bumping on my shield.”
He reflected on the photo’s
significance and why he Llhvu
it's still creating a buzz.
“The fact that it is a black per
son and a little kid dressed in a
Klan uniform, I guess you can
say it was something racial,” he
said.
“Any kind of stuff like that
sells. I don’t think there would
have been that much reaction to
it if that had been a white trooper
standing there.”
Robertson, 45, said he believes
the photo shows “that racism is a
“I don’t think this kid really
thought any differently about
him being therc than being any
where else on a Saturday or a
weekend,” he said. “He might
have thought it was Halloween.”
Campbell, 61, who retired in
June 2009, said he would like to
believe that times are different,
that race relations have improved.
“But it’s still there. If you don’t
believe me, ask [President]
Barack Obama,” he said. “He’s
half-white and they're giving him
all this grief about being black.
What are people thinking?”