H. K. Edgerton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. K. Edgerton
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Edgerton reciting a Civil War poem during a Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy meeting in Tampa, Florida
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Harold Kenneth Edgerton
February 18, 1948 North Carolina, U.S.
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| Occupation | Activist |
| Known for | Advocacy of Southern heritage and the Confederate Flag |
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Harold Kenneth Edgerton (born February 18, 1948) is an American activist. He is known for supporting the history and symbols of the Southern states, especially the Confederate flag. Edgerton is an African-American member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He used to be the president of the Asheville, North Carolina, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He is currently on the board of the Southern Legal Resource Center.
About H. K. Edgerton
Early Life and Background
Harold Kenneth Edgerton was born in North Carolina on February 18, 1948. His father, Roger Roland Edgerton, was a Protestant minister.
His Work and Views
Edgerton worked to improve racial issues through the Asheville chapter of the NAACP. He was elected as its president. Before becoming president of his local NAACP, he was already an activist. He supported Confederate heritage and attended rallies for the Confederate flag.
In 1998, he was suspended from the NAACP. This happened because his Asheville branch did not follow the organization's rules and had financial problems. Some groups have disagreed with his views. This happened after he met with Kirk Lyons, a lawyer who supports Confederate causes.
By 2000, Edgerton was chosen as the chairman of the board of directors for the Southern Legal Resource Center. This organization is also led by Kirk Lyons, who has defended people involved in Confederate causes in court. In an interview in 2000, Skip Alston, who was a leader of the North Carolina NAACP, wondered about Edgerton's choices. Alston said that Edgerton had been seen as "a true activist standing for what is right."
In 2009, Edgerton considered a lawsuit against a newly elected Asheville City Council member, Cecil Bothwell. Edgerton believed that Bothwell's atheism meant he could not serve in public office in North Carolina.
To share his beliefs, Edgerton has made long walks. In 2002, he walked from North Carolina to Texas. He did this to raise awareness about Southern heritage. In January 2009, he walked from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. He wanted the U.S. government to officially recognize the Confederate battle flag. He sees it as a symbol of Southern heritage. Some people see him as a hero because he is an African-American member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He often speaks at their events.
Edgerton has also run for political office several times. He has tried to become mayor and a councilman in Asheville, but his campaigns were not successful.
Related People
- Nelson W. Winbush, another African-American member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
- Georgia Benton, an African-American member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
- Mattie Clyburn Rice, an African-American member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
