A Response to the Florideah SwampFest
Editor's Introduction:
On March 25th, 2017, the collective Florida scene put on a BMX event loosely based around the idea of wild "southern" BMX fun. The Florideah Swampfest looked to many of us like events we had seen in the past (See FBM's Ghetto Street and the Bone Deth Jam). The chaotic and loose environment at this event is somewhat standard in BMX culture and the ridiculous and offensive things spray-painted on ramps and obstacles were nothing new to the BMX-event experience. As coverage of the event spread across social media, a few offensive things did draw attention as possibly having crossed the line into "actually offensive" as opposed to "ironically offensive." The flying of a Confederate flag as well as a Gay Pride flag--debatably upside-down--turned more than a few heads. The first serious treatment of this issue was seen over at Can You Dig It, where one of the editors wrote a piece addressing the complex issues surrounding the Confederate flag, the south, and racism. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by Chelsea Fietsgodin to see if Imprimatur would host another response to the issues at-hand in order to give another perspective--one both pertinent and connected directly to the event, the flags, and the location. That response is below.
- Mike Hinkens, Editor
On March 25th, 2017, the collective Florida scene put on a BMX event loosely based around the idea of wild "southern" BMX fun. The Florideah Swampfest looked to many of us like events we had seen in the past (See FBM's Ghetto Street and the Bone Deth Jam). The chaotic and loose environment at this event is somewhat standard in BMX culture and the ridiculous and offensive things spray-painted on ramps and obstacles were nothing new to the BMX-event experience. As coverage of the event spread across social media, a few offensive things did draw attention as possibly having crossed the line into "actually offensive" as opposed to "ironically offensive." The flying of a Confederate flag as well as a Gay Pride flag--debatably upside-down--turned more than a few heads. The first serious treatment of this issue was seen over at Can You Dig It, where one of the editors wrote a piece addressing the complex issues surrounding the Confederate flag, the south, and racism. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by Chelsea Fietsgodin to see if Imprimatur would host another response to the issues at-hand in order to give another perspective--one both pertinent and connected directly to the event, the flags, and the location. That response is below.
- Mike Hinkens, Editor
by Chelsea Fietsgodin
April 25, 2017
April 25, 2017
I’m coming in a little late on this but I feel that it needs to be discussed. Jon at Can You Dig It made a post questioning the flags on the roll in at the Florideah Swamp Fest. The controversial flags were a Confederate flag and a gay pride flag allegedly being flown upside down. I write this as a member of the Florida BMX community, as a member of the LGBT community two-fold, and as a southerner with a bachelor’s degree in political science that understands why the Confederate flag is not an appropriate symbol of our heritage. I want to explain the situation from my perspective so people can learn from it as well as to help prevent the Florida BMX scene from getting a bad wrap as a bunch of racist homophobic hics. I’ve come across too many people that I know can do better dismissing Jon’s post because they feel like he just wants to ruin a good time that was had at an event that he didn’t attend. As someone who did attend and thoroughly enjoyed the event, my purpose here is to confirm and amplify Jon’s voice and then use my voice to speak on the aspects that affect me.
Prior to being approached about this situation I read Jon’s post on Can You Dig It and fully agree with what was said regarding the Confederate flag. I hold the same sentiments and I commend Jon and Can You Dig It for making a statement, even if it is unpopular. Simply, if one’s sense of pride stems from a history fraught with violence and oppression, we need to consider why exactly that pride is felt. As a Florida native, the Confederacy is something that I feel shame for as one would expect a German to feel shame for the swastika and the associated history. I’m as proud as the next person to be from Florida, and the Florida BMX scene, but we have the state flag and an endless supply of flogrown stickers to express that without honoring a stain on our history.
I wasn’t involved in the flying of the Confederate flag at the Florideah Swampfest (short of not taking a stand and tearing it down) so I cannot speak to the specific reasons the flag was flown in the first place however, knowing Trey and Jeff, I know that their motives were not malicious. Jeff has replied to the original article with an apology and explanation that the flag was flown to express southern pride. As mentioned and to be explained in a moment, I believe this was misguided and we should learn from this discussion that this symbol is hurtful and should be replaced with something else. There may also have been an element of sarcasm as everything at this event was a joke and mockery of American society as whole, but as a majority-white group this is not our joke to make (as proven by the negative emotions felt by those affected). Their offense is not misguided and they have every right to claim ownership of the meanings of the Confederate flag as the people who have been negatively impacted by the ideals which it has and continues to espouse.
I do not believe that most of the people supporting the flying of the confederate flag are overtly racist. They may genuinely believe that it is not a symbol of violence, hatred, and white supremacy. Their belief, however unfounded in the facts and the history of the flag, is that it represents resistance to a tyrannical government. I understand why the idea of a symbol that represents that concept would sound enticing to people who are into this type of event (it serves as the best alternative reprieve from the hyper-organization that BMX is currently facing); however the Confederate flag is a terrible symbol to use for this. Aside from its seemingly obvious history of white supremacy, the Confederacy was simply another government just like the Union in many ways. Ironically, the modern southern states which historically belonged to the Confederacy tend to be the ones that over-regulate citizens’ personal lives. I mean hell, they want to illegalize me taking a piss in a public bathroom.
It is not up for debate whether the Confederate flag has origins stemming from white supremacy. There may have been other initial intentions and there may be some now, but you cannot realistically divorce the Confederate flag from some connection to the toxic and unacceptable white supremacy it has been tainted with. It can be seen clearly in the negativity created by the decision to display the flag at the Florideah Swamp Fest that it is not removed from its violent past. The people who are offended by this are not grasping for straws to ruin a good time. They are experiencing genuine hurt because of the insensitivity and disregard for their legitimate complaints of oppression. What tarnished an otherwise perfect weekend was the ignoring of the fact that the people who have experienced the negativity that this symbol has promoted and continues to promote are not accommodated for nor supported in our community. Whatever the flag means to you as a supporter of it does not matter because your intentions are irrelevant when the results of your actions create a rift in our community. A community that we pride ourselves on as being diverse and inclusive. White people have not been victimized by the negative impacts of white supremacy to understand what the flag promotes and if we disregard the voices of our fellow riders for the sake of keeping the vibe non-political we are promoting white supremacy by default.
In the larger sense, I’ve also seen a lot of “I didn’t own slaves” excuses, which isn’t entirely an absolution from past sins because many of our ancestors did own slaves and the wealth that the institution provided has grown into our modern economy. Additionally, once slavery was abolished (sort of) the division of race was used by the bourgeoisie (upper class) whites to foster a beneficial relationship with the proletariat (working class) whites in an alliance against colored minorities. The reason that the United States went from small and dependent colonies to an economic powerhouse is because we exploited slaves to build our infrastructure and create our goods and agriculture for trade. The wealth that was stolen by slave owners was invested into the country and the stock market when modern capitalism rose. All done while ignoring the needs of the newly “freed” blacks. The hundreds of years of slavery and decades more of de jure (upheld by law) discrimination have created gaps in the state of well-being between races before we even consider the effects of de facto (socially upheld) discrimination. Even today fully legal slavery exists within the United States. The 14th Amendment only abolished slavery except for as punishment for a crime. With that in mind, think about who is in jail and why.
“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people," former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper's writer Dan Baum…”
"You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities," Ehrlichman said. "We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/ - March 24, 2016
The goal that everyone involved has in mind is to be able to think back on the Florideah Swamp Fest and remember only the good times. The event was everything that we hoped it would be and more and I feel bad for anyone who missed it. Realistically, only good times were had during the weekend itself. It was a fine example of the BMX community coming together to create something great. As is pointed out by many defending the use of the Confederate flag, the cast of people who attended the event was diverse. What I hope we learn from the negativity post-event is that we can avoid this type of problem in the future by promoting inclusion for everyone. The more people we can bring together to get stoked on tiny bikes and miniature explosions the better. To foster growth in that direction we must listen to our fellow riders when we’ve done something to hurt them. I hope that we can extend our southern hospitality to all guests.
In regards to the gay pride flag being flown upside-down: as a queer trans woman I can honestly say that I and many of my friends don’t know if there even is a right side up and which side that may be. (Edit: after extensive research [I asked around] a friend has confirmed that the flag was upside down.) If there is a right way I can assure you that the finer points of pride flying etiquette are too obscure for Trey and Jeff and whoever might have put it there to know what they are. Even if the flag were flown intentionally upside down I can say with absolute confidence that it would have been done as a sarcastic means of voicing support because I experience extremely positive support as a member of the LGBT community in the Florida BMX scene. When I walked in and saw the pride flag on the roll in I felt positive emotions as it made me think of how much the FL BMX community supports me. That being said I understand why, given the context of the misguided flying of the Confederate flag, Jon may have worried that it was malicious so I want to stress that his reaction was not a reach to get attention and I appreciate his support for my community.
For us Floridians, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a past mistake as well as educate a young and impressionable segment of the population that probably doesn’t pay too much attention in history class. Do not pass up this opportunity to grow. All we ask for is an open mind. This event was a slip up because many involved genuinely did not know better. This moment is a an educational one. Support for the Confederacy and any of its imagery will be taken as support for white supremacy. And that is not welcome in our community.
Prior to being approached about this situation I read Jon’s post on Can You Dig It and fully agree with what was said regarding the Confederate flag. I hold the same sentiments and I commend Jon and Can You Dig It for making a statement, even if it is unpopular. Simply, if one’s sense of pride stems from a history fraught with violence and oppression, we need to consider why exactly that pride is felt. As a Florida native, the Confederacy is something that I feel shame for as one would expect a German to feel shame for the swastika and the associated history. I’m as proud as the next person to be from Florida, and the Florida BMX scene, but we have the state flag and an endless supply of flogrown stickers to express that without honoring a stain on our history.
I wasn’t involved in the flying of the Confederate flag at the Florideah Swampfest (short of not taking a stand and tearing it down) so I cannot speak to the specific reasons the flag was flown in the first place however, knowing Trey and Jeff, I know that their motives were not malicious. Jeff has replied to the original article with an apology and explanation that the flag was flown to express southern pride. As mentioned and to be explained in a moment, I believe this was misguided and we should learn from this discussion that this symbol is hurtful and should be replaced with something else. There may also have been an element of sarcasm as everything at this event was a joke and mockery of American society as whole, but as a majority-white group this is not our joke to make (as proven by the negative emotions felt by those affected). Their offense is not misguided and they have every right to claim ownership of the meanings of the Confederate flag as the people who have been negatively impacted by the ideals which it has and continues to espouse.
I do not believe that most of the people supporting the flying of the confederate flag are overtly racist. They may genuinely believe that it is not a symbol of violence, hatred, and white supremacy. Their belief, however unfounded in the facts and the history of the flag, is that it represents resistance to a tyrannical government. I understand why the idea of a symbol that represents that concept would sound enticing to people who are into this type of event (it serves as the best alternative reprieve from the hyper-organization that BMX is currently facing); however the Confederate flag is a terrible symbol to use for this. Aside from its seemingly obvious history of white supremacy, the Confederacy was simply another government just like the Union in many ways. Ironically, the modern southern states which historically belonged to the Confederacy tend to be the ones that over-regulate citizens’ personal lives. I mean hell, they want to illegalize me taking a piss in a public bathroom.
It is not up for debate whether the Confederate flag has origins stemming from white supremacy. There may have been other initial intentions and there may be some now, but you cannot realistically divorce the Confederate flag from some connection to the toxic and unacceptable white supremacy it has been tainted with. It can be seen clearly in the negativity created by the decision to display the flag at the Florideah Swamp Fest that it is not removed from its violent past. The people who are offended by this are not grasping for straws to ruin a good time. They are experiencing genuine hurt because of the insensitivity and disregard for their legitimate complaints of oppression. What tarnished an otherwise perfect weekend was the ignoring of the fact that the people who have experienced the negativity that this symbol has promoted and continues to promote are not accommodated for nor supported in our community. Whatever the flag means to you as a supporter of it does not matter because your intentions are irrelevant when the results of your actions create a rift in our community. A community that we pride ourselves on as being diverse and inclusive. White people have not been victimized by the negative impacts of white supremacy to understand what the flag promotes and if we disregard the voices of our fellow riders for the sake of keeping the vibe non-political we are promoting white supremacy by default.
In the larger sense, I’ve also seen a lot of “I didn’t own slaves” excuses, which isn’t entirely an absolution from past sins because many of our ancestors did own slaves and the wealth that the institution provided has grown into our modern economy. Additionally, once slavery was abolished (sort of) the division of race was used by the bourgeoisie (upper class) whites to foster a beneficial relationship with the proletariat (working class) whites in an alliance against colored minorities. The reason that the United States went from small and dependent colonies to an economic powerhouse is because we exploited slaves to build our infrastructure and create our goods and agriculture for trade. The wealth that was stolen by slave owners was invested into the country and the stock market when modern capitalism rose. All done while ignoring the needs of the newly “freed” blacks. The hundreds of years of slavery and decades more of de jure (upheld by law) discrimination have created gaps in the state of well-being between races before we even consider the effects of de facto (socially upheld) discrimination. Even today fully legal slavery exists within the United States. The 14th Amendment only abolished slavery except for as punishment for a crime. With that in mind, think about who is in jail and why.
“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people," former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper's writer Dan Baum…”
"You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities," Ehrlichman said. "We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/ - March 24, 2016
The goal that everyone involved has in mind is to be able to think back on the Florideah Swamp Fest and remember only the good times. The event was everything that we hoped it would be and more and I feel bad for anyone who missed it. Realistically, only good times were had during the weekend itself. It was a fine example of the BMX community coming together to create something great. As is pointed out by many defending the use of the Confederate flag, the cast of people who attended the event was diverse. What I hope we learn from the negativity post-event is that we can avoid this type of problem in the future by promoting inclusion for everyone. The more people we can bring together to get stoked on tiny bikes and miniature explosions the better. To foster growth in that direction we must listen to our fellow riders when we’ve done something to hurt them. I hope that we can extend our southern hospitality to all guests.
In regards to the gay pride flag being flown upside-down: as a queer trans woman I can honestly say that I and many of my friends don’t know if there even is a right side up and which side that may be. (Edit: after extensive research [I asked around] a friend has confirmed that the flag was upside down.) If there is a right way I can assure you that the finer points of pride flying etiquette are too obscure for Trey and Jeff and whoever might have put it there to know what they are. Even if the flag were flown intentionally upside down I can say with absolute confidence that it would have been done as a sarcastic means of voicing support because I experience extremely positive support as a member of the LGBT community in the Florida BMX scene. When I walked in and saw the pride flag on the roll in I felt positive emotions as it made me think of how much the FL BMX community supports me. That being said I understand why, given the context of the misguided flying of the Confederate flag, Jon may have worried that it was malicious so I want to stress that his reaction was not a reach to get attention and I appreciate his support for my community.
For us Floridians, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a past mistake as well as educate a young and impressionable segment of the population that probably doesn’t pay too much attention in history class. Do not pass up this opportunity to grow. All we ask for is an open mind. This event was a slip up because many involved genuinely did not know better. This moment is a an educational one. Support for the Confederacy and any of its imagery will be taken as support for white supremacy. And that is not welcome in our community.
Responses
Do you have something to add? Click the button above and get involved in the conversation.