I ended up watching the a few chapters of Klansville U.S.A. series. It’s been about 5 years since I took an American History course, which was in high school. We only focused on the KKK for ~1 week or so. This documentary probably capitulated more details in ~2 hours about Bob Jones, the role the KKK played in American politics and vice versa, and all the murders and bombings more than I ever learned in any classroom.
While Klan activity now is marginalized, their legacy is powerful in communities where the Klan was once active. I also recently watched a documentary called “Welcome to Leith” which discusses the white supremacist Craig Cobb’s attempt to take over the North Dakota town of Leith. The town had a population of 16 people in 2010, so Cobb hoped to build a community of other white, nationalist, Neo-Nazis so they could eventually gain the electoral majority.
I think much of these radicals group success during the early 20th century is owed to the fact that political culture was so moderate… thankfully, the times have changed.
It sounds unbelievable, but even 60 years after the end of the KKK reign, these crazy ideas are still popular…. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised considering women are still too fighting for their rights post Mary Tyler Moore’s feminist movements.
This woman will be me (please excuse the language! But this is an actual photo of a woman protesting during the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. in January 2017):
Jerome Krase
May 20, 2017 — 11:42 am
What you and I must be reminded of, is that people with whom we vigorously disagree are not necessarily evil but more likely misinformed as they reside in a different world than do we; since existence is, after all, mere communication.