Vidor, Texas is a lovely little burg on the outskirts of Beaumont. The town of 11,000 is located near the Louisiana border and not too far from the Texas gulf coast. CNN reporter Keith Oppenheim was recently sent there to do a piece on the town’s history of racism for 
the “Paula Zahn Now” show. Vidor, it seems, is the type of town that black people habitually avoid, especially after dark. It also has a past reputation for being a haven for Ku Klux Klan activities. (You can read a separate piece Oppenheim wrote about Vidor here.) Oppenheim’s presence in Vidor, or course, was quite visible, and the inhabitants knew the date and time the racism piece would be aired. The townsfolk were naturally quite interested in what this “Yankee reporter” was going to say about their little town. But just when the piece was about to air, the screens on all of the town’s televisions (those that were tuned in to CNN, that is) went suddenly blank. The blackout lasted for some six minutes, and by the time the CNN feed was restored, the Oppenheim piece was over. So Oppenheim took his camera crew to the local cable provider (Time-Warner) to find out what had gone wrong on the evening of the broadcast. Was it censorship?
Why no, was the reply from the cable operator. It was a simple mistake. According to the Time-Warner representative who was interviewed, a technician had been trying to do repair work on the QVC shopping channel feed when he accidentally unplugged the power strip for the CNN feed. (The Oppenheim piece had video of the visit and, interestingly enough, the technician in question was a black man.)
As for Vidor’s history of racism and Ku Klux Klan activity, Oppenheim’s piece on CNN.com continues:
One of the most memorable instances of that was in 1993, when the federal government tried to change years of racial separation, and brought a handful of black families into Vidor’s public housing. In response, the Klan marched in Vidor. Within months, the few black families moved out. And African-Americans were left with a deep impression that still exists today. […] ‘They think that’s a racist town,’ said Walter Diggles of the East Deep Texas Council of Governments. ‘They think when you go through Vidor, you better be very careful, and most blacks still refuse to stop.’
Vidor Mayor Joe “Billy Bob” Hopkins vehemently denies that his town is racist. “The vast majority of our citizens are not racist. We’d welcome anybody here who is a good solid citizen.” Thanks, mayor. No one expected you to say otherwise. When asked how many black people live in Vidor, Hopkins didn’t have an answer. He did note, however, that there are 13 black children in Vidor’s school system—a school system with a total enrollment of 4,500 students. That’s a whopping 0.003 percent! Hmmm….
Meanwhile, Oppenheim roamed the streets of Vidor looking for citizens to interview. In a local bistro he found Peggy Fruge, who told him that she’d welcome blacks to her neighborhood. I saw the CNN video of the interview with Fruge. She’s the type of solid citizen who has hair on her upper lip, several missing teeth in the front portion of her lower mandible, and appears to be about two pork chops shy of a ton. Here’s Oppenheim’s report. Isn’t Ms. Fruge just a delight?
I wonder how many pork chops Peggy ate after they turned the cameras off?
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My family lives in Vidor and though I have recently moved away, I can say I have never seen the Ku Klux Klan, nor have I ever seen anyone treat a black person badly. There are racists- wherever you go, if you look for them. Occasionally you’ll see someone flying a Rebel Flag in their yard or have one on their pickup truck. Some will argue that it’s heritage and not hatred. I believe in avoiding the appearance of evil- so I avoid the Rebel Flag- I don’t want to be accused of being racist just because I live near my family. Vidor has so many wonderful people- the majority of Vidorians are honest, Christian, and friendly. Many of the audience members are my friends and family, I am proud to say that. I think everyone made good points, but what now? I don’t think airing this show will change anything. Yes, it brought it out into the open-again. Yes, there has been racism in Vidor-and for some it continues. How will Paula Zahn’s show help others to see Vidor any differently? Will the residents of Beaumont/Pt Arthur/Orange have a different view of Vidor? I believe time will help, but I also think people need to see Vidor for themselves. Get to know the residents, make a stand and go to Vidor, if need be. Communication is important, as well as education. Racism is in America, it’s in the world. Racism is ignorance. And it does go both ways- blacks vs. whites, whites vs. blacks, Christians vs. non-Christians, etc. It’s a cultural problem as well as a racial problem. I pray that we all will not easily be offended, and be forgiving.
Please read my words…and allow them to circulate.
I am a Vidorian. I was raised there. I will not deny where I’m from when people ask me. Most of my fellow Vidorians do. They don’t want to tell people where they are from because they are ashamed of the towns´ history; I don’t blame them for feeling this way. Also, many people assume you are a racist if you tell them you’re from Vidor. Small minded people make this kind of assumption.
I now live in Beaumont Texas. I enjoy living in a diverse community more than a segregated one. I like people…no, I love people, all Gods people. God made so many beautifull people. I am a classically trained artist, so I see diversity as beauty; it makes the world a better place. I do not support any type of racist/hate organization.
…but do you believe me, and what I have told you about myself? Or have you already made an assumption about me because of where I am from?
…will I ever get a ‘fair shake’? (Pardon my southern expressions)
Why is it, that when others come into Vidor for stories(like the related interview stated above) or photos (like the ‘Rough Beauty’ book) they purposefully seek out the dirtiest parts of the town and the most uneducated people to interview.
Media can twist stories however they choose, scandals are more fun than what I’m telling you right now. I feel Vidor has made progress, but you wouldn’t know it by the related interview or the published photography book… the light you shed is tainted and filtered. Why didn’t anyone tell my story? An educated women from the south who is aware of the extreme racial tension that is present all over southeast Texas… if you think it’s unique to Vidor then you have been misinformed.
This is the dirty south. Do you know why they call it the dirty south? Because it’s polluted (due to the massive oil industry and port that exists down here) and full of racist segregation… why don’t people make stories about the other segregated communities in the area?
what about the predominately black town of Port Arthur and the phenomenon known as ‘White Flight’ and the predominately white, wealthy towns of Port Neches, Nederland, and Lumberton.
What about addressing the issues of segregated school districts, and kids of all colors growing up in seclusion? … ignorant of one another and themselves.
I tell truth with this post, I pray to God whoever is in charge of postings gives this one a chance to circulate. I am an educator, a public school teacher, I work with Deaf people and they have taught me more about acceptance and beauty than the world at large. I am brave and smart and good and loving. I care about people and our nations children. You don’t become a teacher for the money; you become a teacher to make a difference.
The fact of the matter is… down here (in the south) all over, we are still trying to ‘rise up out’ of the ashes of oppression, slavery, racisms, hate, and widespread ignorance.
Vidor is no longer ‘a sundown town’ rather it has become the ’scapegoat town’ for the racial tension that exists in all of southeast Texas.
Let others read this; don’t perpetuate the stereotypes of past generations… aren’t we all so much more than that?