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Bikes, Blues and Barbecue is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21 through Saturday, Sept. 24. A petition is circulating calling for a community boycott of the event following a petition calling for the motorcycle rally’s leadership to condemn and discourage the brandishing of Confederate flags during the rally.
A petition is circulating in Fayetteville by community members who want the Bikes, Blues and Barbecue leadership to condemn and discourage the brandishing of the Confederate flag, and is now calling for a community boycott of the event.
The petition formed Aug. 1, and as of this writing, the petition had 907 signatures with the goal of 1000, said Joseph Daniels, co-author of the petition.
The authors of the petition feel the Confederate flag is “symbolic of past and present acts of terror toward minority groups, especially people of African American descent,” according to the petition on change.org.
The petition calls for its signers and the community to not attend any event rallies the week of Sept. 21-24, to not financially invest in any event or sponsored merchandise and instead support the charities being sponsored by the event.
The authors of the petition reached out to meet with the executive board of Bikes, Blues and Barbecue to discuss the requests outlined in the petition’s guidelines. The board first welcomed the idea and worked to set up a time with them, but attempts to set a meeting have since been unsuccessful or ignored, Daniels said.
However, Tommy Sisemore, Executive Director of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, recently released a statement that said:
“We have recently been made aware of petitions asking for us to both condemn and accept the display of the Confederate flag at our annual motorcycle rally. Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is a not for profit motorcycle rally that benefits women, children, and the undeserved members of the Northwest Arkansas community. Since the first Bikes, Blues, and BBQ we have donated $1.3 million to charity. Bikes, Blues, and BBQ has always taken pride in being a family friendly event, inclusive of all members of the community. Bikes, Blues, and BBQ in no way condones or accepts racism, intolerance or hate speech. We also respect individuals’ rights to free speech and expression.”
Daniels said the idea to start a petition came from his experience with the motorcycle rally last year. He had enjoyed going to the rally in the past and had brought his girlfriend to experience the festival that year. He soon found he didn’t feel comfortable with the “overt display” of the Confederate flag and felt unwelcome, and soon left after 15 minutes of being there.
The controversy over the Confederate flag was at a fever pitch following the mass shooting of nine churchgoers in Charleston, S.C. in 2015. In the aftermath, the Confederate flag was removed from the South Carolina State House after racial violence was deemed the motive of the shooting. Following that incident, many retailers and companies motioned to ban the sale and display of the Confederate flag, including Wal-Mart. In response, bikers with Confederate flags had much more of a presence at the rally in 2015 than previous years.
“We’re not trying to ban the Confederate flag,” Daniels said. “We know it has its place in history, but we need to treat it as history and not as its current state. We are in an era where our country is completely split and divided. It’s important for us to treat the past as a learning experience and keep things that aren’t loving and inclusive in the past so we can build toward a future that’s loving and inclusive.”
Some community members agree with Daniels and have said the flag has negative, concerning symbolism.
“The Confederate flag is a symbol of pride to some,” said Pamela Falcinelli, a Fayetteville resident who signed the petition. “Yet to others, it is a symbol of oppression and pain. With the current racial tensions in our society we should take whatever measures needed to bridge the gaps between races. If this is a problem then we should gladly deal with it.”
Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams said there isn’t much that can be done about the situation, as bearing the flag is an expression of freedom of speech.
“As an African-American, I find it offensive,” said Wendell Huggins, who signed the petition. “I understand when they say it’s about their southern heritage and pride. Well, my southern heritage included lynchings by hate mongers who waved this flag.”
Other community members see the Confederate flag as a non-issue, and something that represents southern heritage.
