Klansville USA

Klansville USA is a documentary about how one of this country's most progressive southern states - North Carolina - became Klansville USA.

The movie opened with a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1966. It was the largest political rally of the year, and it was a show of support for clan leaders being investigated by the FBI. The leader wanted to build the clan into a politically legitimate group, however, he was also being investigated. His name was Bob Jones, a Grand Dragon.

Jones mobilized people concerned that their way of life was threatened by racial integration. The clan also attracted people that didn't want to be "at the bottom of the barrel." In the wake of the civil rights era, blacks were beginning to progress. Members of the clan were poor white people that were not getting any attention. Because of that, their goal was to standout and reaffirm their superiority over blacks. For example, an interviewed clan member said his day of acceptance into the group was the "most exciting and thrilling moments of my life." He then went on to describe his life as a "struggle to survive financially" and that he was "trying to find standing in the community but couldn't get it, but here I am in front of a group of people." I believe that was the perfect example of this low life group.

In our Talking About Freedom class, I have found that in history all progressions in race relations are coupled with a pushback. Whether it's the Supreme Court striking the first Civil Rights Act of 1866 down with the Plessy v Ferguson case or the assassination of MLK after his many successes, each two steps forward seemed to take us a step back. Sadly, I believe this is what happened in North Carolina with the rise of the KKK. Although this is a consequence of free speech, the first amendment will eventually destroy the terror it created. The best ideas always win.