Activist and Southern Heritage Advocate dies in Asheville

Edgerton
Activist Harold Kenneth "H.K." Edgerton died January 18th at the Asheville VA Hospital Photo credit Imagn Images/ Pensacola News Journal

An activist from Western North Carolina who advocated for southern heritage causes has died. Harold Kenneth Edgerton better known as H.K. Edgerton died last week at the VA hospital in Asheville after a long battle with illness.

Edgerton was a military veteran, he later become a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Edgerton was considered controversial by some, as he was a black man known to carry the confederate flag in marches across the Carolinas.

He also served as President of the Asheville Chapter of the NAACP. Edgerton was a board member at the Southern Legal Resource Center until his death. He made waves in 2009 when he filed a lawsuit against an openly atheist member of the Asheville City Council.

Edgerton himself ran for multiple public offices in Western North Carolina. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. H.K. Edgerton was 77 years old.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Imagn Images/ Pensacola News Journal