WHITES ONLY IN THE OZARKS
DAVID AND KAITLAND MET ON THEIR THIRD DAY ON THE PROPERTY AND HAVE MARRIED
BY SNN.BZ STAFF
‘Return to the Land’: The Controversial Whites-Only Community in Arkansas and Its Expansion Plans
In the remote Ozark hills of northeast Arkansas, a group called Return to the Land (RTTL) has established a self-declared “whites-only” community, sparking widespread controversy and condemnation.
Founded in October 2023 by Eric Orwoll and Peter Csere, the settlement spans approximately 150 acres near Ravenden, a small town with a population of fewer than 500.
The group, which operates as a private membership association (PMA), explicitly restricts membership to individuals of “European ancestry” with “traditional views,” excluding non-whites, non-Christians, Jews, and LGBTQ+ individuals. RTTL’s activities have raised alarms among civil rights organizations, local officials, and residents, who see it as a revival of segregationist ideologies.
Now, the group is reportedly planning to expand its model to Missouri and beyond, prompting further scrutiny and legal questions.
A Community Built on Exclusion
RTTL’s flagship community, located at 480 Browns Creek Road outside Ravenden, consists of about 40 residents living on 150-160 acres of land. The settlement features cabins, graded roads, wells, a community center, and a schoolhouse where children are homeschooled. Residents engage in pastoral activities such as growing food, tending to goat herds, and swimming in nearby creeks, aiming to “separate from a failing modern society” and return to a simpler, rural lifestyle.
The group’s co-founder, Eric Orwoll, has described the settlement as a “fortress for the white race,” emphasizing a desire to preserve what he calls “White American culture” in response to perceived threats from mass immigration and multiculturalism.
To join RTTL, applicants undergo a rigorous vetting process, including a video interview to verify their ethnic identity and adherence to the group’s values. Successful applicants can purchase shares in a Limited Liability Company (LLC), which translate to acres of land for building.
The group’s website and social media presence, including posts on X, promote this vision with updates on construction, nature photography, and even children’s book illustrations that reflect their pastoral ideals. Orwoll, a YouTuber with around 14,000 subscribers who also sells online philosophy courses, has been a vocal advocate, stating, “You want a white nation? Build a white town. It can be done. We’re doing it.”
Legal and Ethical Controversies
RTTL claims its PMA status and private land ownership exempt it from anti-discrimination laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. Orwoll asserts that the group has invested tens of thousands of dollars in legal research to ensure compliance, framing the project as a matter of “freedom of association” and a “First Amendment issue.” He argues that Americans have the right to form intentional communities based on shared values, even if those values exclude certain groups.
However, legal experts and civil rights advocates strongly dispute this interpretation. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has condemned RTTL’s practices, stating, “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.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused RTTL of attempting to revive “discredited and reprehensible forms of segregation,” arguing that its actions likely violate federal and state civil rights laws, including the Arkansas Fair Housing Act. Barry Jefferson, president of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP, echoed this sentiment, saying, “We don’t need to get back to the Jim Crow era. No one should be discriminated against because of their skin color.”
The group’s rhetoric and online activities have further fueled concerns. RTTL’s Telegram channel reportedly contains white supremacist slogans, including references like “1488,” a nod to the white supremacist “14 words” and “Heil Hitler.” Orwoll has also expressed controversial views, suggesting that conventional opinions on Adolf Hitler are “one-sided” and influenced by wartime propaganda, though he clarified he does not advocate for violence or a new Holocaust. These statements have drawn sharp criticism from groups like the ADL, which sees RTTL as part of a broader trend in white separatist organizing.
Expansion Plans and Local Reactions
RTTL’s ambitions extend beyond Arkansas. Orwoll has announced plans to establish a second community near Springfield, Missouri, and ultimately aims to create similar enclaves in all 50 states, with additional sites planned in the Ozarks, the Deep South, and Appalachia.
The choice of northern Arkansas was driven by affordable land, natural beauty, abundant water, and a predominantly white, conservative population, factors Orwoll believes make it an ideal starting point. The group has also launched online fundraising campaigns, including one offering financial incentives to parents of newborns to boost population growth, which has raised half of its $10,000 target.
The prospect of expansion has alarmed officials and residents in Missouri. State Representative Crystal Quade, the House Minority Leader, stated, “Southwest Missouri has a racist past, but we’ve made progress and we’re not going back. White nationalist groups have no place in our country, especially not here.”
State Representative Betsy Fogle added, “Southwest Missouri is too beautiful to be ruined by a worldview so ugly. History has been very clear about the outcomes of groups like Mr. Orwoll’s.” The ADL has urged local authorities in both Arkansas and Missouri to act swiftly to ensure these communities remain inclusive.
Local residents near Ravenden, like Pat Johnson, who attended the segregated “Pocahontas Colored School” in the 1950s, express fear and distrust at RTTL’s presence. Johnson told Sky News, “When you hear things like that, it causes you to be fearful and you don’t know who to trust.” She attributes the rise of such groups to a broader political shift, particularly following changes in national leadership.
A Broader Context of White Separatism
RTTL is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a longer tradition of white supremacist groups attempting to create segregated enclaves. In the 1970s and 1980s, similar efforts targeted the Pacific Northwest, and more recent attempts have emerged in Kentucky, North Dakota, and Maine.
According to Morgan Moon of the ADL’s Center for Extremism, such communities often fail due to financial issues, infighting, or the challenge of convincing people to relocate to remote areas. However, RTTL’s sophisticated legal and financial structure, including an LLC operating agreement and contributions from founders ranging from $10,000 to $90,000, sets it apart as one of the more organized efforts in recent years.
The group’s appeal is amplified by its online presence, with Orwoll and Csere leveraging platforms like YouTube and X to recruit members and share their vision.
Media outlets, including Sky News, NBC, and The Independent, have extensively covered the group, highlighting both its activities and the backlash it has provoked.
A Divisive Vision for the Future
RTTL’s establishment and expansion plans have ignited a fierce debate about freedom, discrimination, and the legacy of segregation in the United States. While Orwoll insists the group is merely exercising its right to free association and preserving cultural heritage, critics argue that its exclusionary practices are a dangerous step toward organized hate.
As Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and civil rights groups continue to review the legality of RTTL’s actions, the group’s plans to expand into Missouri and beyond signal a broader ambition to create a network of whites-only communities, challenging the principles of equality and inclusion enshrined in American law.
The controversy surrounding RTTL underscores deeper societal tensions about race, identity, and the limits of free association. As Pat Johnson reflected, the rise of such groups evokes painful memories of a segregated past, raising questions about whether history is at risk of repeating itself.
For now, RTTL remains a small but provocative presence in the Ozarks, but its aspirations to grow could test the resolve of communities and lawmakers committed to fostering inclusivity.
