South Bend residents find KKK recruiting flier outside homes

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – Some residents on old US 31 in South Bend found a document asking for their name, religion, and racial lineage. It was a recruitment flier from the Ku Klux Klan.

Some neighbors said it is surreal to see the KKK actively recruiting in their community.

“Really, why, I mean enough other things are going on in the world right now. That’s not something that needs to be going on,” Sandra Boldt said.

Boltd has been living in her residence on Millre road for almost 20 years. She said she was in disbelief after finding a baggie of Ku Klux Klan propaganda on her front lawn. Inside the zip lock bag were a handwritten note and a recruitment form.

“Nothing like that has ever happened out here before. I heard someone down the street had gotten one. I noticed the neighbor had gotten one, and the kids found it in our yard too. So, nothing like that has ever happened, and I’ve been here almost 20 years,” Boldt said.

It’s a first for her, but not uncommon in Indiana. David Goldenberg, with the Anti-Defamation League, said KKK propaganda, like the package found outside homes on Miller road, are regularly found in the state.

“When you look at 70 plus incidents over the course last, 18, 19 months, You can break that down, into averaging around to 3 to 3 and a half each month. So, you’re talking about almost once a week in Indiana,” Goldenberg said.

But, it can be intended to make the Ku Klux Klan seem much larger than it actually is.

“More times than not, these individuals, these people who identify with the Klan don’t necessarily live in your neighborhood, but they are trying to make it look like they do,” Goldenberg said.

“We were reading it, shaking our heads in disbelief because it's just surreal,” Boldt said.

 If you come across any hate propaganda, it’s best to contact law enforcement. You can also report it to ADL on their website here.