A city council candidate in Michigan told an audience that she wanted to keep her city “a white community”.
Jean Cramer shocked constituents and politicians in Marysville, Michigan when she gave an overtly racist answer to a question about how the town should attract more foreign-born residents in the Great Lakes area.
“Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible,” she said.
Later, when a local newspaper asked if she’d like to clarify her answer, Ms Cramer appeared to double down on her beliefs.
“Husband and wife need to be the same race. Same thing with kids,” she said. “That’s how it’s been from the beginning of, how can I say, when God created the heaven and the earth. He created Adam and Eve at the same time. But as far as me being against blacks, no I’m not.”
Marysville is a small town near Detroit with a population of 9,700, over 90 per cent of which is white. But the city council meeting room in which Ms Cramer made the racist statement was named for a Syrian native, Joseph Johns, who owned a local business and eventually became an elected official.
1/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, burn a swastika and cross during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, U.S on March 9, 2019
Reuters
2/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network hold up balloons decorated as the face of Adolf Hitler and give a white-power hand signal as they celebrate the German fascist’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
3/23
Billy Roper of the ShieldWall Network attends a party at a home outside Atkins. The group primarily operates in Arkansas and includes three other members who were recently charged with assault in connection with the beating of a gay man, according to police reports
REUTERS
4/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network march to a rally opposing legal abortion and supporting gun rights at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas
REUTERS
5/23
Jeff Schoep, former chairman of the National Socialist Movement, speaks during a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 10, 2018
REUTERS
6/23
Crosses lit by members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan burn outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017. The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest Klan groups in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups
REUTERS
7/23
Members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan prepare for a cross-burning outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017
REUTERS
8/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network perform a Nazi salute as a swastika and cross burn during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, March 9, 2019
REUTERS
9/23
High chairs are seen in a building owned by The Knights Party, a white nationalist group formerly named the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, outside Harrison, Arkansas, March 10, 2019. The organisation is opening an education center for the children of white nationalists
REUTERS
10/23
Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan addresses an audience before a cross-burning outside Yanceyville
REUTERS
11/23
A figurine of a black man being lynched inside the home of Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Yanceyville
REUTERS
12/23
John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, holds up a photo montage of (clockwise from top left) Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, founder of the American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof and Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess, while attending a party at a home outside Atkins
REUTERS
13/23
Symbols of white nationalism are displayed on the jacket of a member of the National Socialist Movement as they gather in a parking lot before attending a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas
REUTERS
14/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network prepare a swastika for burning to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins
REUTERS
15/23
A new member of the ShieldWall Network, Nicholas Holloway, and other members of the white nationalist group go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
16/23
Courtney Calfy, wife of Julian Calfy, helps to prepare a meal as members of the ShieldWall Network gather to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
17/23
John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, on the phone during a celebration of Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
18/23
A plaque on top of a flagpole with the number 1488 is carried by members of the National Socialist Movement as they attend a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 10, 2018
REUTERS
19/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network John Carollo, Julian Calfy and Nicholas Holloway gather at a member’s home before departing to disrupt a Jewish Holocaust memorial event in Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
20/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network burn a swastika to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
21/23
Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is seen inside what the group calls its church, next to his home in Yanceyville
REUTERS
22/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
23/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, prepare to burn a swastika and cross during a party at a home outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
1/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, burn a swastika and cross during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, U.S on March 9, 2019
Reuters
2/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network hold up balloons decorated as the face of Adolf Hitler and give a white-power hand signal as they celebrate the German fascist’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
3/23
Billy Roper of the ShieldWall Network attends a party at a home outside Atkins. The group primarily operates in Arkansas and includes three other members who were recently charged with assault in connection with the beating of a gay man, according to police reports
REUTERS
4/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network march to a rally opposing legal abortion and supporting gun rights at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas
REUTERS
5/23
Jeff Schoep, former chairman of the National Socialist Movement, speaks during a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 10, 2018
REUTERS
6/23
Crosses lit by members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan burn outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017. The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest Klan groups in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups
REUTERS
7/23
Members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan prepare for a cross-burning outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017
REUTERS
8/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network perform a Nazi salute as a swastika and cross burn during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, March 9, 2019
REUTERS
9/23
High chairs are seen in a building owned by The Knights Party, a white nationalist group formerly named the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, outside Harrison, Arkansas, March 10, 2019. The organisation is opening an education center for the children of white nationalists
REUTERS
10/23
Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan addresses an audience before a cross-burning outside Yanceyville
REUTERS
11/23
A figurine of a black man being lynched inside the home of Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Yanceyville
REUTERS
12/23
John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, holds up a photo montage of (clockwise from top left) Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, founder of the American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof and Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess, while attending a party at a home outside Atkins
REUTERS
13/23
Symbols of white nationalism are displayed on the jacket of a member of the National Socialist Movement as they gather in a parking lot before attending a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas
REUTERS
14/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network prepare a swastika for burning to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins
REUTERS
15/23
A new member of the ShieldWall Network, Nicholas Holloway, and other members of the white nationalist group go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
16/23
Courtney Calfy, wife of Julian Calfy, helps to prepare a meal as members of the ShieldWall Network gather to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
17/23
John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, on the phone during a celebration of Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
18/23
A plaque on top of a flagpole with the number 1488 is carried by members of the National Socialist Movement as they attend a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 10, 2018
REUTERS
19/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network John Carollo, Julian Calfy and Nicholas Holloway gather at a member’s home before departing to disrupt a Jewish Holocaust memorial event in Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
20/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network burn a swastika to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
21/23
Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is seen inside what the group calls its church, next to his home in Yanceyville
REUTERS
22/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas
REUTERS
23/23
Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, prepare to burn a swastika and cross during a party at a home outside Atkins, Arkansas
REUTERS
His daughter, Kathy Hayman is currently serving as a city official and was present for Ms Cramer’s remarks. She responded that she was “so upset and shocked”.
“So basically, what you’ve said is that my father and his family had no business to be in this community,” she said to Ms Cramer.
Council member Paul Wessel also spoke out against Ms Cramer’s comments, saying that anyone who makes it to Marysville “should be allowed to live” there.
Ms Cramer is one of five candidates running for three city council seats in Marysville. The Detroit News reports that other candidates present at the forum were deeply troubled by her comments, with one responding by checking a calendar “and making sure it’s still 2019”.
Donald Trump just barely won Michigan in 2016, but St Clair County, where Marysville is located, voted for him overwhelmingly.
