Buddy Tucker
{{Short description|Christian Identity minister and far-right figure}}
Dewey H. "Buddy" Tucker ({{died in|{{c.|November 2022}}}}) was an American minister from Dandridge, Tennessee, and former pastor of the "Temple Memorial Baptist Church" in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was a white nationalist, antisemitic, former Baptist and founder of the now-defunct group National Emancipation of our White Seed.
His activities associated him with Christian Identity leaders and white supremacists such as Dan Gayman, Gerald L. K. Smith, Byron De La Beckwith, Richard Butler and Bertrand Comparet, along with groups that include the National States' Rights Party, and Aryan Nations.Sims, Patsy (December 12, 1996). The Klan. The University Press of Kentucky; 2 edition. pp. 65,66. {{ISBN|978-0-8131-0887-2}}[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=M3zsPnPgUlUC&dat=19770327&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Nevada Daily Mail - Mar 27, 1977] p. 1{{cite book|last=Sims|first=Patsy|title=The Klan|url=https://archive.org/details/klan00sims|url-access=registration|date=December 12, 1996|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky; 2 edition|isbn=0-8131-0887-X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/klan00sims/page/143 143]}}
Christian Identity activism
Tucker founded the Temple Memorial Baptist church on July 14, 1969, in Knoxville, Tennessee.[http://tnbear.tn.gov/ECommerce/FilingDetail.aspx?CN=100032234055066170072099199170186139201164228217 TN State Corporate Entity Control Number 51514 ] The Congregation oriented itself towards certain Comparetian beliefs; particularly the "two-seedline" belief. This belief states that Jews are the product of Cain, due to a sexual encounter between Eve and Satan, while whites are the product of Adam and Eve.{{Cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Christian_Identity.asp?xpicked=4&item=Christian_ID |title=Christian Identity |access-date=2012-02-01 |archive-date=2012-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119052722/http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Christian_Identity.asp?xpicked=4&item=Christian_ID |url-status=dead }}
In 1973, Tucker collaborated with Christian Identity leader Dan Gayman. The Anti-Defamation League reports that Gayman became affiliated with Tucker's National Emancipation of our White Seed (N.E.W.S) and also assisted in the publication of its anti semitic publication, The Battle Axe News.{{Cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/gayman.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=2&item=gayman |title=Dan Gayman |access-date=2012-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201072150/http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/gayman.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=2&item=gayman |archive-date=2012-02-01 |url-status=dead }} The two later conducted a tour of the west coast, at which time Tucker became associated with Bertrand Comparet and Richard Butler. Butler aligned his own church with N.E.W.S. in 1976 before forming Aryan Nations.{{cite book|last=Marks|first=Kathy|title=Faces of right wing extremism|date=Feb 1996|publisher=Branden Books|isbn=0-8283-2016-0|pages=79}}
In April 1975, Tucker became acquainted with Christian nationalist Gerald L. K. Smith. Though this lasted less than a year as the result of Smith's death, Tucker was chosen to deliver the eulogy at Smith's funeral based on their shared extremist views.{{cite book|last=Jeansonne|first=Glen|title=Gerald L K Smith Minister of Hate|date=June 1997|publisher=Louisiana State Univ Pr|location=May 1997|isbn=0-8071-2168-1|pages=210}}
On April 12, 1976, Tucker officially Incorporated N.E.W.S in Tennessee.[http://tnbear.tn.gov/ECommerce/FilingDetail.aspx?CN=136039181255033157003154246002077123169007034034 TN State Corporate Entity Control Number 80577 ] On June 3 of the same year, in Schell City, Missouri, Tucker and Gayman, along with 34 other individuals, forced their way into the church pastored by Gayman's brother, Duane Gayman and unfurled banners reading "National Emancipation of our White Seed".{{cite news|last=Lambertson|first=Giles|title=11 Arrested At Church After Take Over Try|newspaper=Nevada Daily Mail|date=June 3, 1976}} This altercation was the result of Duane Gayman's split from Dan Gayman's increasingly extremist congregation.{{cite book|last=Kaplan|first=Jeffery|title=Encyclopedia of white power: a sourcebook on the radical racist right|date=June 14, 2000|publisher=Altamira Press|isbn=0-7425-0340-2|pages=118}} A clash with police occurred and Tucker and Gayman, along with 10 others were arrested for trespassing. Tucker failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest on July 9, 1976.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FZQfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X9QEAAAAIBAJ&dq=schell+city+dewey-buddy-tucker&pg=3837,527051|title=The Nevada Daily Mail - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|accessdate=3 October 2023}}
In 1977, Tucker ordained white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith as a minister in the Temple Memorial Baptist Church, just before Beckwith began serving a prison sentence in Louisiana on charges related to a bombing and the attempted murder of A. I. Botnik, director of the New Orleans–based B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League.Byron De La Beckwith{{cite journal|last=Lloyd|first=James B.|title=TENNESSEE, RACISM, AND THE NEW RIGHT: THE SECOND BECKWITH COLLECTION|journal=The Library Development Review 1994-95|date=1 November 1995|pages=3}}
Prison sentence
Tucker was imprisoned in 1977 due to a 1974 conviction for willful failure to file. After losing his appeal, he surrendered to U.S. Marshals and served nine months in federal prison.{{cite journal|title=Rev. Tucker Ordered Arrested|journal=Daily Post News|date=June 28, 1974|volume=4|issue=128|pages=2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YGxTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2494,6979668&dq=knoxville+dewey-buddy-tucker&hl=en}}{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Joe|title=Schell City Slurs By Racist Group|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=M3zsPnPgUlUC&dat=19770327&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|newspaper=The Nevada Herald|date=March 27, 1977}}
Internet activities
Tucker ran two websites and a YouTube channel. One was an outreach website that posted antisemitic, white supremacist, anti-communist, and homophobic articles which dated back to the N.E.W.S. publication, The Battle Axe News, alongside Bible studies and then-current articles. The other website had content focused on Gerald L. K. Smith and contained writings of, and correspondence with, Smith as well as articles by Wesley Swift and other Christian Identity leaders.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
Death
On November 23, 2022, Tucker's son Paul used his father's Facebook account to report that he had died.{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/dewey.tucker.31/posts/pfbid02uQnkCqvxJzdgVn3KoQYzUFNmbkc9GDCXLC7kWx6em4bHjESHFKrUx9sD6DwTmajRl |title=This is very difficult for me to say for I have cast off my mortal bonds. Those of you whom I loved, I continue to do so as true love is eternal. For those who are troubled by my passing, may YAHWAH bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May YAHWAH lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. For those whom might gain some joy by my passing, may YAHWAH shine a light in your life. As this is my final post, I will leave you with Glory be to YAHWAH almighty and blessed be YAHWASUA. Post by Paul Tucker for Buddy as I envision his best and last sentiments. |last=Tucker |first=Paul |date=November 23, 2023 |website=Facebook |access-date=December 6, 2024}}
References
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Category:American members of the clergy convicted of crimes
Category:American people convicted of tax crimes
Category:American prisoners and detainees
Category:American segregationists
Category:Christian Identity people
Category:People from Dandridge, Tennessee
Category:Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government