A Whites-Only Community in Arkansas Draws Widespread Criticism

Many Black Americans have developed an immunity to shocking news headlines stemming from the Trump Administration’s open hostility toward minority communities and its rush to undo democratic principles, but the recent news about a whites-only community in northern Arkansas has flooded social media newsfeeds and traditional TV and radio newscasts.

The 160-acre community in the Ozark Hills near Ravenden, Arkansas, attempts to navigate civil rights guidelines by labeling the area as a Private Members Association. There are 40 members currently living in the settlement, but hundreds more around the world have paid the membership fee to join Return to the Land ( RTTL). 

Founder Eric Orwoll said in an interview that has gone viral, “What we’ve done here is establish a place where we have control over who our neighbors are – and that is just for the sake of, you know, preserving our culture.”

RTTL welcomes only white Christians. The settlement is explicitly declared a whites-only community, excluding Jewish people, followers of non-European religions, and LGBTQ individuals. Members are evaluated on European ancestry via interviews and a screening process.

“You know, you don’t let everyone in,” Orwoll added.

Members are building their own homes, streets, and there is a schoolhouse. A young mother explained why she and her family have moved to the settlement, explaining that she was “doing this for her ancestors, my friends, my family, my children and my children’s children.”

Dr. Dara Gaines, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, said, “This is an environment where they feel bold enough to say something like this or do something like this without fear of retribution or prosecution. The political scientist in me says that it’s unfortunate, but not unexpected, that this sentiment exists. I think it’s very telling about the political position we are in that these people feel so emboldened.”

Gaines is a native Arkansan who grew in the southern part of the state. She pointed to Harrison, Arkansas, which has been known for racial tension and ties to the Ku Klux Klan, as an example of progress – citing the city’s recent efforts to improve its image.

“But, they [RTTL] think this racism is to be applauded,” Gaines added.

Legal experts say the community’s structure could be a violation of the Fair Housing Act. Civil rights groups have also indicated that labeling a community as a private club may not provide protection from laws prohibiting discrimination.

Arkansas’ attorney general has also expressed displeasure with the new community. Republican Tim Griffin has been an opponent of DEI initiatives and embraced other right-wing philosophies, but he said his office is looking into RTTL’s settlement. 

Griffin stated, “Racial discrimination has no place in Arkansas or anywhere in a free society. These allegations raise all sorts of legal issues, including constitutional concerns.” 

The group would like to expand from its northeast Arkansas flagship community, which started in 2023, further north into Missouri. A second site nearby opened in January 2025, and there are reports of plans to move into the Appalachian mountains.

“I would like to have more communities so that people in all parts of the U.S. have this as an option if they want,” Orwoll said. “I would also like us to network and branch out internationally.”