‘Whites-only’ community banning Black, Jewish and gay people set up in Arkansas – PinkNews

Return To The Land member Eric Orwoll appeared on Sky News. (Sky News)
A ‘whites-only’ community that reportedly disallows entry to Black, Jewish or LGBTQ+ people has been established in the US state of Arkansas.
Established in 2023, Return To The Land (RTTL) describes itself as “a private membership association (PMA) for individuals and families with traditional views and European ancestry,” as per its website. Members of the group have rejected accusations of racism, arguing that the group is “not trying to keep other people down.”
The website also references moving away from “a failing modern society,” likely a way of describing the impact of immigration and diversity on their sense of national identity. RTTL’s emphasis on “strong families with common ancestry,” and “traditional values” can also be seen as attacks on marginalised groups like the LGBTQ+ community.
In a recent Sky News report, RTTL’s founder, Eric Orwoll, explained his take on the community. “What we’ve done here is establish a place where we have control over who our neighbours are, and that is just for the sake of preserving our culture.” When pushed on what he meant by “culture,” Orwoll clarified, “White, American culture.”
In one social media video promoting RTTL, Orwoll tells viewers, “You want a white nation? Build a white town? It can be done. We’re doing it.” The original site is comprised of 150 acres with approximately 40 people living there. Sky News reports that “hundreds more from across the world have paid to be members.”
RTTL’s website lists six sites, including a second active site in Arkansas and the rest in “the initial planning process.” US outlets have reported similar sites in Missouri, showing a building momentum of the far-right movement.
David, a member of the community, told Sky News, “It wouldn’t be controversial for any other racial group to do the same thing.” Similarly, Niki, said people have a “large misunderstanding” about the community, claiming it’s “a loving movement.”
When it’s brought up that doesn’t accept gay people (among others) Niki replied: “They can have their own communities; they already do and I think that’s great for them.” She also said it would be “neat” to see white-only cities along the same lines as RTTL.
RTTL believes that its status as a PMA allows it circumvent legislation that would bar discrimination. Peter Csere, who came up with the group’s legal strategy, told Sky News he was “hopeful” they could win any potential legal cases against the group’s legitimacy.
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Csere also accepted that some would call him and the group racist saying, “I don’t really know or care if that term applies to me or not.”
Prospective members of RTTL are vetted based on ethnicity and other grounds, partly through a video interview. Members can then buy shares, which translates to plots of land to build on. Scott Thomas, a board member and ‘founding father’ of RTTL said ultimately “you have to be someone of European heritage.”
In response to Sky News’ reporting, Arkansas’ attorney general, Tim Griffin, has said in a statement: “This is the first I’ve heard of these allegations. Racial discrimination has no place in Arkansas or anywhere in a free society. These allegations raise all sorts of legal issues, including constitutional concerns. My office is reviewing the matter.”
Pat Johnson, a resident of the nearby town of Pocahontas, put RTTL’s emergence down to Donald Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year.
“I think it’s the change of our presidency,” she told Sky News. “That’s what I’m going to say, because I feel like that’s where the change is.”
Similarly, Barry Jefferson, the president of the Arkansas branch of the NAACP, said “we don’t need to get back to the Jim Crow era. We’ve been through that before. I think no one should be discriminated against because of the skin colour… That’s not right.”
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