"𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗦-𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬" 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗨𝗣 𝗢𝗡 𝟭𝟲𝟬 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗔𝗦

 

A whites-only community is quietly taking shape in the hills of northeastern Arkansas, raising alarm among civil rights advocates and local residents. The group behind it, known as Return to the Land (RTTL), has established a settlement on 160 acres near Black Rock, openly restricting membership and residency to people of European descent.

Founded by Eric Orwoll, RTTL describes itself as an "intentional community" rooted in traditional values. But its exclusionary practices have drawn widespread criticism. The group uses a Private Membership Association (PMA) structure to sell land shares only to those who meet its racial criteria—explicitly excluding Jews and other non-white individuals. While Orwoll insists that RTTL is about cultural preservation, not hate, many view the project as a modern form of segregation.

RTTL currently houses about 40 residents and claims hundreds more have purchased shares. It promotes itself as a safe haven for like-minded white families and a model for future communities, with plans to expand into Missouri and eventually across the country. The group’s rhetoric and actions have drawn attention from white nationalist circles, including individuals with violent criminal histories and links to neo-Nazi ideology. Critics have also pointed to the group’s logo, which some say resembles a swastika.

Civil rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), have condemned the group’s activities. The ADL’s regional director called on authorities to investigate, warning that northeast Arkansas must not become a refuge for intolerance. Legal experts argue that RTTL’s use of a PMA structure does not shield it from fair housing laws, which prohibit discrimination based on race.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has launched a review of RTTL’s operations, stating that racial discrimination has no place in the state. Local residents have also voiced unease, especially in light of the area’s troubled racial history. Nearby Harrison, for example, was once the site of violent expulsions of Black residents and has long been associated with the Ku Klux Klan.

Despite Orwoll’s insistence that RTTL is not driven by hatred, the community’s practices align closely with white nationalist goals. Civil rights groups warn that RTTL is part of a broader movement to normalize racial separatism under the guise of lifestyle choice or personal freedom. As the group explores expansion into new locations—Springfield, Missouri has been named as a potential next site—activists urge the public to remain vigilant.

“This isn’t about tradition,” one civil rights attorney said. “It’s about exclusion. It’s about white supremacy. And it’s happening in plain sight.”