Black Mississippi couple, Jessica Richardson and her husband are intimidated by white woman, Ruby Howell while visiting Okibbeha County Lake Kampgrounds of America (KOA).
In yet the latest episode of African Americans being racially profiled, a black couple have shared video of them being harassed and physically intimidated after going to a Mississippi campground (along with their dog) to have what they thought would be a peaceful Memorial Day picnic.
In the video, since gone viral, Jessica Richardson captures footage of her and her husband being approached by a white woman with her gun drawn at the Okibbeha County Lake Kampgrounds of America (KOA) in Starkville, Mississippi.
‘This lady just literally pulled a gun because we’re out here and didn’t have reservations for a lake that we didn’t even know we needed to have reservations for,’ Richardson can be heard saying as the video begins.
Though it was hard to hear what the white woman said, she was wearing a KOA employee shirt and holding a pistol. Richardson is heard telling the ‘white’ woman that there was a misunderstanding.
‘We didn’t know, the only thing you had to do was tell us to leave,’ Richardson is heard saying in the video. ‘We would have left. You did not have to pull a gun.’
The white woman then put her gun in her pocket. ‘I’m just telling you, you need to leave,’ she told the Richardsons. ‘You can’t be out here.’
Richardson posted the video from their encounter on Facebook, where she wrote that she and her husband decided to check with KOA’s front desk to see if they needed a reservation. The attendant there, who Richardson identified as the woman’s husband and campground property manager along with his wife, said they did not.
(click on immediate image below for video to play)
The suspected white supremacist woman who pulled a gun on an innocent Black American couple for having a picnic in a park in Starkville Ms, is named Ruby Howell. The company she works for says she has been fired. BTW, she is a staunch Confederate flag supporter,so are we shocked? pic.twitter.com/W1SszIaba2
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) May 29, 2019
Ruby Howell identified as the ‘white woman who terrorized Jessica Richardson and her husband:
Though the name of the white woman wielding the gun has not been formally confirmed, a Facebook account credited to Ruby Howell includes photos of a woman who looks exactly like the person who intimidated the Black couple on the video. In addition, the KOA website lists ‘Ruby’ as ‘the manager here.’
Howell’s Facebook profile describes her as being retired from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety where she worked as a Driver’s License Examiner. A further regard reveals the woman extolling Christian and religious virtue (see below). The account did not immediately address the incident, but that didn’t stop Facebook users from leaving angry comments under her most recent posts.
‘You should be serving jail time for pulling a weapon and threatening the lives of innocent people!’ one user commented.
‘This the old gunslinger racist that likes to pull guns on black people trying to have picnics!!!’ another user wrote.
It was unclear whether there will be consequences for what happened to the Richardsons, but KOA released a statement acknowledging the incident.
‘KOA Inc. is aware of the situation that occurred Sunday, May 26th at the KOA franchise in Starkville, Mississippi. KOA is currently looking into the matter and reaching out to all of the parties involved,’ the brief statement said. ‘Kampgrounds of America prides itself on providing a welcoming, safe environment for everyone to enjoy the outdoors.’
Welcome to a proud divided America….
