Many Belizeans probably aren't familiar with the Klu Klux Klan, or the KKK, but in America it is one of the most well known and widely despised racist organizations promoting white supremacy. It has a terrifying history of violence against African Americans and other ethnic groups.
Now, you're probably saying what does all that have to do with my evening news, right? Well, it turns out that a former KKK Imperial Wizard – which is the national head, or the equivalent of the President of the Klan is a resort owner in Belize.
Bill Wilkinson who headed the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan from 1975 to 1983 is the owner of the Seven Seas Resort on San Pedro. We called him today to ask him about his past and the Louisiana native told us it's quote, "a bunch of baloney." He said he's been here for 27 years now and is 71 years old. When we pressed him, he said "all that stuff", as he called it, happened 35 years ago. He said he's just trying to live his life out peacefully, and he will stand on his record on San Pedro where he interacts with all kinds of people. He said, quote, "they all know me and we get along." That seems to imply some sort of live and let live approach after being the head of a white supremacist organization 30 years ago. Wilkinson told us, quote, I've made a clean break from anything that I was" end quote.
And while he's trying to leave the past behind, it's not so easy for a former head of the KKK and David Duke associate. We note that someone has put up a site bearing his resort name. The site outs him as a former KKK leader and documents his involvement in the Klan at some length.
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