Biracial family told not to use showers at KOA campground in Stanton

The mother of biracial children said she and her children were told by a KOA campground manager in Stanton, Missouri, they weren’t welcome to use the facility’s showers — an echo of the Jim Crow discrimination era. The campground later apologized.

The incident occurred at the Stanton / Meramec KOA Journey campground in Stanton, just off Route 66. The campground, which technically has a Sullivan address because Stanton is unincorporated, has been listed in the Campgrounds page of Route 66 News for years.

The story first was reported by KSDK-TV in St. Louis, then by the Kansas City Star newspaper. Here’s the station’s video report:

Megan Jones of Alton, Illinois, took her family to nearby Meramec Caverns. Afterward, they settled into one of the KOA’s cabins which, despite its name, actually isn’t affiliated with the caverns.

The children were outside playing with chalk when the manager confronted Jones and the children about it. KSDK reported:

Confused, Jones then approached the woman, who Kampgrounds of America later confirmed is a KOA franchisee. The woman said Jones’ son should know better. 
“Did you say he should know better? Than to play with sidewalk chalk?” Jones responded.
She said the woman replied, “I don’t want them running around here. I don’t want them in the showers. I don’t want nobody having to shower after their kind.”
Jones defended her children and said, “Their kind? What do you mean their kind? Is it because my children are black?!”

The manager’s alleged comment brought to mind Jim Crow laws, where black people in the South were forbidden from using public showers or swimming pools while white people used them. Civil rights laws passed during the 1960s outlawed such segregation by race.

The manager offered her a refund she accepted, but Jones said her children were treated “like garbage.”

Jones later told her story on Facebook:

On the comment thread with the post, Jones said she’d never had a bad experience with KOA locations before.

Stanton / Meramec Journey KOA issued a public apology on Facebook a day later:

At last count, the campground’s Facebook post had generated more than 900 comments, many of them demanding the management be fired.

KSDK also reported it received a statement from National Kampgrounds of America Inc, aka KOA.:

The incident involved a verbal exchange between a biracial family of campers and the KOA franchisee at that location. Unfortunately, the situation escalated, and insensitive language was used. The campground franchisee has since issued an apology to the family.
Kampgrounds of America Inc. has been in contact with the family and has also conveyed our sincere apology. They spoke of their love of camping and their intent to continue to camp with KOA in the future. We welcome the chance to provide them with the camping experience that they and all members of the Black community deserve.
For the past 58 years, KOA has worked to provide a safe, welcoming environment that provides access to the outdoors for everyone. Through increased training and vigilance, we will do everything we can to live up to our mission of connecting people – all people – to the outdoors and to each other.

A Route 66 enthusiast who tipped me off about the story was disturbed by it and wrote in an email: “I really think we are losing people because of this redneck bs. I no longer feel welcome and know it scares people from Europe. The road has to change or die.”

(Image of the KOA logo via Facebook)