The problem….is that the word redneck has racist undertones that serve as a warning for blacks to stay away.
When Weissport Councilman Tommy McEvilly came up with the theme forthis weekend’s festival, he was shooting for something different andfun that could raise money for his cash-poor borough of 434 people.
He never thought his Redneck Festival would strike the kind of nervethat ripples right to the heart of this year’s presidential election.
Race.A day after Bethlehem’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoplepresident, Esther Lee, condemned the festival theme as raciallyinsensitive, the event drew thousands and went off without a hitch,albeit while drawing the kind of attention McEvilly never intended.
”We got enough car shows and craft fairs around here. I wanted to givepeople something different,” McEvilly said. ”If everybody is laughingand having fun, what’s the problem?”
The problem, Lee contends, is that the word redneck has racist undertones that serve as a warning for blacks to stay away.
It didn’t keep Frances Burgess away Saturday. Burgess, a black womanfrom Bethlehem who happened to be camping with her family nearLehighton, said the lawn tractor race drew her in.
”I wondered how we’d be received, but I came because it soundeddifferent and I thought it might be fun,” Burgess said. ”We probablystick out a little here, but everyone has been very nice.”
<!– END google ads –> </div> <!– END rail –> <font size=”2″ style=”font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;”>”We got enough car shows and craft fairs around here. I wanted to givepeople something different,” McEvilly said. ”If everybody is laughingand having fun, what’s the problem?”<br /><br />The problem, Lee contends, is that the word redneck has racist undertones that serve as a warning for blacks to stay away.<br /><br />It didn’t keep Frances Burgess away Saturday. Burgess, a black womanfrom Bethlehem who happened to be camping with her family nearLehighton, said the lawn tractor race drew her in.<br /><br />”I wondered how we’d be received, but I came because it soundeddifferent and I thought it might be fun,” Burgess said. ”We probablystick out a little here, but everyone has been very nice.”<br /><br /><a href=”http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b5_5redneck.6569726aug31,0,2239724.story”>continue…</a></font><br /></body></html>