A longtime leader of the Ku Klux Klan, who also claims he's a Christian pastor, is facing widespread backlash after he said he doesn't believe Black people can be saved and go to heaven.
Thomas Robb, the national leader of the KKK and head of Thomas Robb Ministries in Arkansas, made the racist remarks during a September interview with journalist Joshua White. Clips from the interview resurfaced and went viral on social media this week.
“In spite of what people say, the Bible doesn’t address Black people hardly at all,” Robb told White.
Robb went on to say he believes the Christian covenant established through Jesus Christ was intended for white people and claimed that Christ’s arms are not “wide” enough to include everyone.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Robb has led the KKK since 1989 and has attempted to rebrand the organization by referring to himself as “National Director” rather than “Grand Wizard” and calling the group “The Knights Party.”
In the interview, Robb claimed his white supremacist beliefs are rooted in what he described as biblical history.
“American history doesn’t begin in 1776,” he said, arguing instead that it begins with the biblical covenant between God and Abraham, which he believes applies exclusively to white people.
Robb noted that he believes Black people can be “redeemed” but not saved. According to Robb, “the benefits of Christianity” apply to everyone, but that doesn't make Black people part of God’s covenant or suitable as “marriage partners for my family.”
“There are a certain element of people that just aren’t welcome,” Robb said.
When asked what he would want for Black men in America, Robb dismissed them as “gang bangers” who should learn “the rule of law.”
Watch video of the interview here.
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