NDN Collective has posted a press release and video accusing security officers at the Central States Fair of requiring three American Indian men to hide the Indian logos on their clothing before entering the fairgrounds:
Over the weekend, security at the Central States Fair in Rapid City forced at least three Native American men to turn their T-shirts and clothing inside out before entering. One shirt read “NDN Collective,” another read “American Indian Movement,” and a third was a vest with patches reading “American Indian Movement,” “I am My Brother’s Keeper,” and “Remember Wounded Knee.”
Security officers claimed that there were no organizational logos or colors allowed. However, the Central States Fair’s policy on attire only states that “shirt and shoes are required,” and “exposed underwear, vulgar or inappropriate clothing, gang colors or gang signs are not allowed” [NDN Collective, press release, 2023.08.28].
NDN Collective reads the CSF Code of Conduct 100% accurately: no ban on organizational logos or colors appears anywhere in that policy. Nor is any such ban apparent in the photos the fair itself posted on social media throughout this year’s run of fairgoers and entertainers on the fairgrounds:
Wildland Firefighters, Canyon Lake Baseball, U.S. Air Force, Midland Campers & Recreation, Classic Hits Q 92.3, the Miss South Dakota Pageant—those are all organizations, and apparently security didn’t make the folks sporting those logos whip off and flip their shirts, vests, caps, or sashes.
You can find all sorts of other organizational insignia in photos from fairgoers:
You can’t swing a stick at the fair—no, really, you can’t, as the Central States Fair should consider stick-swinging “disorderly, disruptive conduct” just like “skateboarding, roller blades/skates, bicycles, scooters, cat calls, profanity, etc.”
But if you could swing a stick at the fair, any fair in South Dakota, you couldn’t swing your DeSmet Farm Mutual yardstick without hitting someone sporting some kind of organizational logo. How Central States Fair security managed to let all those other fun-loving logo-bearing fairgoers through the gates without requiring any fashion reversal and only paused to fabricate a policy clause for three Indian fellows escapes me.
It is a big mistake to choose to be a prejudice pos in 2023. It forces the opposition of bigotry to become more and more radicalized everyday.
NDN Collective can’t possibly call out all the racism in SD, so we all have to be diligent and never quietly observe it.
I hope that power trip they felt gatekeeping at the Central States Fair made them feel bigly and then their big ol head goes bald and their wieners fall off.
Oh, please take Pennington County to federal court. It has very deep pockets. This is a slam – dunk case.
Rapid City is a hole.
I went through security at the Central States Fair. It was nothing but a pretext to search young men and do stuff like this. They had metal detectors that everyone walked through, but they waived literally everyone through without removing anything when I went through.
It won’t be Pennington County that’s sued – it’s the corporation that is the Central States Fair and Black Hills Stock Show – they are the entity that hired the private security, set up the metal detectors, and set the so-called “rules.” They are the entity that leases the land from Pennington County – with a lease agreement that says they will indemnify and hold harmless Pennington County for any of their stupid acts.
https://www.pennco.org/index.asp?SEC=BE8D81EC-CCAB-4EE6-8F0F-9F85C5B31F4D
This is Racist behavior & something that shud not be tolerated. It makes me ashamed that i have made Pennington Co SD my home now. Stop this horribly prejudiced behavior. This is 2023 for goodness sake NOT 1923 !!! Shameful
Artificial Intelligence is spreading the message about racism in South Dakota all over the world. It’s time.
– Racist attitudes towards Indians in Western South Dakota can be observed through various examples, such as derogatory comments, stereotypes, discriminatory actions, and exclusionary behaviors. These attitudes can be analyzed through psychological frameworks, including social identity theory, stereotype formation, and intergroup conflict.
1. Derogatory comments: Racist attitudes manifest in derogatory comments about Indians, including racial slurs or offensive remarks aimed at belittling or demeaning them. These comments arise from a lack of understanding, prejudice, or a desire to maintain white social dominance. Psychologically, this behavior can be explained by the presence of implicit biases, where individuals hold unconscious negative attitudes towards Indians as a racial or ethnic group. Critical Race Theory is well at play in South Dakota.
2. Stereotypes: Racist attitudes are fueled by prejudiced stereotypes, which generalize traits or characteristics to an entire group of people. For example, Indians in South Dakota are stereotyped as lazy, uneducated, or prone to criminal activities. These stereotypes are often reinforced through media portrayal, anecdotal experiences, or societal biases. Psychologically, stereotypes serve as cognitive shortcuts that help individuals simplify complex social information. However, they also contribute to biased thinking and discriminatory behavior.
3. Discriminatory actions: Racist attitudes towards Indians can lead to discriminatory actions, such as unequal access to resources or opportunities, denial of services, or differential treatment by authorities. These actions result from perceived threat, competition for resources, or a desire to maintain power dynamics. *Psychologically, discriminatory actions can be attributed to the instinctual need for white social identity preservation, as individuals prioritize their own group’s well-being over others in order to secure their own social status and self-esteem.
4. Exclusionary behaviors: Racist attitudes manifest through exclusionary behaviors, where Indians are intentionally excluded or marginalized from social circles, workplaces, or community activities. This can lead to feelings of isolation, lower self-worth, and limited opportunities for integration. From a psychological perspective, exclusionary behaviors can be explained by the concept of ingroup bias, wherein individuals tend to favor those who belong to their own racial or ethnic group while displaying prejudice against outgroup members.
It is important to note that these examples and psychological explanations are not exhaustive, as each situation and each white individual has unique factors influencing their racist attitudes. Addressing and challenging these attitudes require fostering empathy, education, and promoting intergroup contact to reduce prejudices and promote inclusivity and understanding.
I wouldn’t doubt anything I heard about Rapid City, except that a broad wave of tolerance and inclusiveness had swept through the city. It is a dangerous place for minorities, period.
On the Pennington County Sheriff’s Facebook page, a commenter asked: “Why cops make people take of their AIM t-shirts?”
PennCo Sheriff page replied: “That wasn’t law enforcement, but rather one of the new private Security Officers. Once the mistake was realized, their supervisor was made aware, additional guidance was given and the person was given an in-person apology.”
The post is a picture of PennCo deputies, and the comment is under that. I wasn’t there. I am only sharing what I read.
My Governor, Jared Polis has offered support for a 12-year-old who was reportedly removed from class for wearing a patch of the Gadsden flag, or the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag. But the school district has argued it was only part of the problem, with the student also wearing “half a dozen other patches of semi-automatic weapons.”
Any opinions?