Clark, NJ and racism (Edison, Rahway: high school, live, car)

[NJGUIDO]

My brother used to say that Clark can be a very racist town and that there is/was some KKK presence and/or somewhat of a redneck mentality there. Is this true? or just nonsense? I have heard this from black people also but I have always thought of this as being a rumor or exaggeration? Any opinions?

[CuCullin]

Exaggeration. Its a predominantly white town, and yes, there are racist people there (much like other places). No one is getting strung up or burning crosses.

[NCMommy2-4]

I dated a fireman from Clark that actually said they had to put out fires on the lawn of the newly moved in black family. Ok this was YEARS ago, but from what the fire dept. says.. it did happen.

I lived in the town next to it for about 30 yrs and it was very well known as a "white community". Sad but true. Just repeating my own experiences and opinions on what I witnessed.

Linda

[Machinist]

My wifes father knew quite a few Clark police officers and was invited by one to join a meeting. Not saying all police officers in Clark are racist, and not saying all the people at that meeting were poice officers( wasnt there, and neither was he) but I would have to say there are some. And i have noticed myself that alot of the stops I have witnessed in Clark are minorities. And I myself have been pulled over in Clark twice, for the record Im white.

[CuCullin]

Originally Posted by NCMommy2-4

Ok this was YEARS ago

Yup, right around the time of race riots.

[RobRiguez]

When I was a young kid / thug / *******tothecops I got pulled over alot in many different towns for many different reasons. (only 50% of the time it was justified...hispanic hoodlums get profiled alot). Clark was the only town where the cops pulled me out of my car through the window and held me at gunpoint with their knees on my head holding me down. Then literally bounced off the hood of a cruiser and back onto the pavement.

Im not saying it wasnt warranted, but ive acted/done much worse things in much worse towns and was never treated so badly. I dont know if that helps YOUR situation but for me, it was the reason most people "I" knew growing up stayed as far away from Clark as they could.

[girl-973-908-732]

Clark? No.


racism against who? black people, jews, jehovah's witnesses, asians, hispanics,. . . . I never heard of any of this.

But ask me about Carteret? I hear it all the time.

I never felt anything like this in Clark. Again, I'm in the vicinity of Edison/Clark/Carteret/Rahway and this is all news to me.

[allison1980]

I lived in Cranford and in high school there were so many stories of cross burnings on lawns in clark.

[scorp200]

I used to work in Springfield and a guy who grew up in Clark said it was completely racist and really scary (he was white). This was in the early 90s so I don't know if that's still the case.

[CuCullin]

So every person who says its racist "knows someone who" or "heard" something. I'd call that a trend.