This is the second episode of a three-part series that aims to provide a brief timeline of race relations at Choate. Research about the history of Choate Rosemary Hall is an ongoing process; if you are curious about learning more, visit the Archives.
Over the years, Wallingford has become a town synonymous with racism and white supremacy. The town’s population of white supremacists came to light during the 1990s with the militant resurgence of right-wing extremist groups. Anti-government factionalism began as a reaction to controversial standoffs in Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas. Soon, such ideas made their way to Connecticut.
However, first reports of the KKK in Connecticut date back to 1924, and Wallingford’s tumultuous connection with this racist organization came to a head in 2000 and 2001.
In January 2000, Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson announced his refusal to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a paid holiday for Wallingford residents due to his concern for the town’s budget. Less than two days later, Klansman Harry Pender and two others marched through Main Street, dressed in full KKK regalia. This demonstration shook the town and threatened those who were not part of the 94% white population.
It prompted numerous discussions at Choate and beyond, centering on Mayor Dickinson’s decision and Wallingford’s history of racism. The mayor’s unwavering stance made Wallingford the only municipality in Connecticut — out of 169 — to not recognize MLK Day with paid time off. Such a decision outraged many people — from residents to activists like Rev. Jesse Jackson and CT governor John Rowland.
In April 2000, before Rev. Jackson traveled to Wallingford to advocate for the holiday, Gov. John Rowland made MLK Day official on April 27, 2000. With the initial issue resolved, the situation highlighted the racial realities in Wallingford, which would soon attract another dispute in the town when Matthew Hale visited the following year.
Matthew Hale, the “Pontifex Maximus” or supreme leader of the racist and anti-Semitic World Church of the Creator, gave a speech at the Wallingford Public Library.
Due to Hale’s invitation from the Wallingford branch of his church, the Wallingford Public Library was obliged to allow him a space to speak. However, they were convinced his message wouldn’t be accepted by the Wallingford community.
On March 10, 2001, the citizens of Wallingford lived up to that expectation by organizing a counter rally that overshadowed Hale’s speech. Some Choate faculty also participated in the rally, despite much of the community’s absence for spring break. After the event ended, police, some of whom were prepped with full riot gear, swiftly escorted Hale out of the building.
Undettered by the backlash and counter protest, Hale saw the event as a success due to the publicity, prompting him to return to Wallingford the following month. Contrary to his expectations, the event was received in a similar way as its predecessor, with even more confrontations, arrests, and police to prevent mass violence and riots.
The appearances of Matthew Hale in Wallingford showed both the town’s appeal to those who share his beliefs and the ability of the Wallingford community to stand against racist values.
On September 20, 2016, Wallingford residents saw sightings of a KKK mannequin dressed in uniform, including a white robe and hood, and posed with a Nazi-like salute. At Choate, Mr. James Stanley, Dr. Alex Curtis, Dr. Keith Hinderlie, and Ms. Kathleen Wallace were the first four adults to be aware of the situation and decided to monitor it before notifying the community. The news spread quickly, and, by September 28, most of the community was aware of the situation, sparking an announcement at School Meeting that shared the reasoning behind not disclosing the salutation to the community and extended an invitation to students for an open dialogue. No students participated in the forum and opted to make their opinions heard in their own way.
Blair Cox ’17, president of the Choate Afro-Latinx Student Alliance (CALSA), and other campus organizations sent a letter to the four faculty members and outlined tangible changes the administration could make. Some of these included positioning a community safety officer at the intersection of Christian St. and Elm St. — ensuring the administration provides transparency, honesty, and timeliness in instances that impact the student body and their safety — and creating reporting guidelines for street harassment from cars. The latter was in response to frequent instances of racial slurs targeted against Black students from passing cars.
Although the administration’s response to the original KKK Wallingford sighting was less than ideal, the rallying from the students and receptiveness from administrators showed the strength and commitment of the community as a whole to make Choate a safe place for everyone.
In November of 2019, many posters with the phrase “IT’S OKAY TO BE WHITE” were found spread throughout Wallingford. This phrase is affiliated with white supremacy and neo-Nazi groups in igniting fear among people of color. A day after receiving the news, Dr. Hinderlie emailed the school community with more information about the situation. The Equity and Inclusion team worked closely with the Wallingford police department to ensure student safety and were assured that the threat was not to the Choate community directly. The response to this situation was swift and transparent, a major improvement from the 2016 mannequin incident. It demonstrated Choate’s ability to handle these situations with effectiveness and their ability to improve their approach in service to the wider community.
