White Robes: Where Is the KKK Today?

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

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The KKK appears frequently in March, serving as the primary reason and support behind the violent crimes committed against and during the Civil Rights movement. One would think that the Ku Klux Klan faced a decline after society embraced the results of the Civil Rights movement. However, the KKK is still active in certain areas today.

Following an article by Megan Trimble of U.S. News, it became apparently while researching that the Klan, indeed, is still active in areas of our nation today. However, the KKK group responsible for the violent crimes of the Civil Rights movement isn’t the main one active. The majority of the KKK groups still active in today’s society actually formed in the late 2010’s, with a sharp increase of membership in 2017. 44 (or so) groups remain active in over 22 states, including 2 in Virginia, according to U.S. News. Donald Trump “mentioned the movement by name” following a white nationalist rally that made headlines in Charlottesville, Virginia, which many of you may remember.

In today’s society, the KKK’s actions differs greatly than those of their initial movements and protests in the early 1900’s. While their violent crimes in the early 1900’s led to deaths, lynching, and mass murders, this was accepted (to some extent) by society at the time. Because of this, actions taken against them often led to actions being taken against the protesters. This led to the collaboration of many of the state policemen, who often supported and followed the KKK’s ‘works’. Those who tried to take action often found themselves in a war they couldn’t win, and often faced death. Although, this was was eventually found victory through the Civil Rights movement. In today’s society, the KKK’s violent crimes doesn’t follow the moral guidelines of today’s society, and often faces backlash, which would inevitably protect society from their cruel and brutal actions they once took part in. While occasional, smaller crimes still happen around the nation, the general meetings of the KKK were moved to just a small rally.

In their most recent activities, the KKK has gathered for small rallies in protest, even going as far as to interrupt LGBTQ parades with their protests. However, today’s society has changed to filter out and identify this other-worldly hate that was once accepted before the Civil Rights movement. This eventuate change to society not only bettered America as a whole, but bettered future generations of children, who grow up in today’s society seeing racism as a hate only the cruelest of people bare.

 

Sources:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2017-08-14/the-kkk-is-still-based-in-22-states-in-the-us-in-2017

The History of the KKK in American Politics

 
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What We Don’t Forget

March Blog Prompt

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We look back on history with the notion of certain events happening in the distant past. It’s so distant that, more often than not, we forget that the offenders are still alive today. Even though we have moved forward as a society, looking down on the actions of our ancestors. Some people never change. They pass on their radical beliefs down from one generation to the next, which leads us to today.

Their Activity Today

The KKK is known as one of the oldest and most violent hate groups across the states. Nowadays, their hate is not only directed at black people, but also directed towards other minorities. Members of the LGBTQ+, immigrants, and Jewish people have all been targets of the KKK. As of recent years, there has been a decline in active KKK member activity. This can be chalked up to COVID-19, however, there has been a trend of their decline for the past few years.

Now, they work as separate groups and continue to cause each other problems. Infighting, disloyalty among groups, and lack of media coverage were some of the main issues that caused their decline. As well as, in 2021 several cases of members getting doxed. In 2022, many internet forums, websites, and social media but continue to get banned and kicked off different platforms for their continuous hate speech.

We Don’t Forget

As we move forward, we refuse to forget the violence of the past. Deep southern states like Alabama and Mississipi have a tendency to look the other way when it comes to facing their own history of racism. However, in 2018 a memorial was opened in Montgomery, Alabama. This museum was dedicated to the victims of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and lynchings. This museum aimed to bring these horrible acts of violence to light, but also to let us come to terms with our history.

Corridor in the National Memorial for Peace and Justice

Works Cited

https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/memorial
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/combating-hate/tattered-robes-state-of-kkk-2016.pdf
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/ku-klux-klan
https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/anonymous-doxing-missouri-kkk-ferguson/

 
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3 Innocent Lives Taken by the KKK

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

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Mickey Schwerner, Andy Goodman, and James Chaney were Civil Rights Workers. They worked in Mississippi, registering black Americans to vote. They were killed by the KKK for their actions of fighting for equality for all. The men were caught in a trap by the KKK on their way back to Meridian. A police officer pulled them over to arrest them. After being released, they were then attacked by members of the Ku Klux Klan, and shot to death.

Mickey Schwerner moved to Mississippi with his wife, Rita, after he was hired to work for the CORE. Prior to this career plan, he attended Michigan State University and Cornell. At Cornell, he was known for working to have a colored student be accepted into a fraternity. Schwerner was originally from the North but felt the need to go down South with hopes of making a change. The casualties of the other 2 men were because the KKK wanted to go after Mickey; however, Goodman and Chaney were with Mickey at the time. He chose to go to Mississippi because he believed he could make the most difference there with the higher number of white-surpemacists.

Andrew Goodman was also born in New York. He was a Jewish-American who became a Civil Rights Activist while studying at Queen’s College. He joined CORE while attending. As part of the Freedom Summer Campaign, Goodman was sent to Meridian along with Schwerner and Chaney. They first met with the families and members of the Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Longdale to see how they were doing after their church had been burnt down by the KKK.

James Chaney was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi. From an early age, he was taught to have a great amount of racial pride. Him and his friends were suspended in high school for wearing buttons demonstrating their activism. Fighting for his rights was always something that felt very important to him. James had never gotten married. He participated in the Freedom Rides before becoming part of CORE. Chaney worked with colleagues, Goodman and Schwerner to investigate the church bombing. This was a trip that unfortunately, the men never made it home from.

I believe that I would join a cause that had the potential to get me harmed if it was something that was very important to me. I have always been raised to stand up for what I am passionate for and would like to believe that if it was needed, then I would have the courage to take a stand and fight for what I believe in.

Linderd. (2021). Michael Schwerner Biography. Biography of Michael Schwerner. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/price&bowers/Schwerner.htm

Missing Fbi Poster urging for information about the whereabouts of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. (2019). The Andrew Goodman Foundation. photograph. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://andrewgoodman.org/news-list/living-the-legacy-of-goodman-chaney-and-schwerner-55-years-later/.

The Stonesong Press Inc. and The New York Public Library, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2021, November 28).
Andrew Goodman, activist born. African American Registry. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://aaregistry.org/story/andrew-goodman-activist-who-gave-his-life/

University of North Carolina Press. (2021, November 28). James Chaney, activist born. African American Registry. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://aaregistry.org/story/james-chaney-fought-for-civil-rights/

 
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The Case of Three Missing Activists

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

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Murder_fbiposter_700.jpg

The blog post for this week is a little different from the ones we have done in the past. It is about the disappearance of Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andy Goodman. All three of these men were civil rights activists. This story took place during a time when the Klu Klux Klan was growing in members and was a very active organization. The KKK burned down many churches, one of which was Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The KKK also beat people who had a meeting held there. Schwerner worked there but was out of town. After hearing news about the burning, Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney all drove over to investigate what remained. While driving there the three were pulled over. Chaney was arrested for speeding, and the others were arrested for possible involvement in the burning. After being arrested, the three men were released and asked to leave town immediately. While leaving, the three men were being followed by a gang of white men and were pulled over to a nearby gravel road where they were shot, killed, and buried. Their bodies were found roughly forty days after they went missing. 

Mickey Schwerner and James Chaney worked for the Congress of Racial Equality, while Andy Goodman was a student who was part of the Mississippi Summer Project. All three were associated with the Council of Federated Organizations. Schwerner had a wife, Rita, who used this case to help bring attention to victims of racial violence who were overlooked. They wanted to make a difference just like others who fought for civil rights. 

It is hard to answer whether or not I would join a cause if I knew I was risking my life because I have not been in the situation before. Personally, I do not think I would because I do not think I could risk my life. These men were so brave to fight for what they believed in, even though they knew what could and would eventually happen. I just do not think I could do it after reading so many brutal stories like this one.

( Info from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedomsummer-murder/ AND https://mscivilrightsproject.org/neshoba/event-neshoba/the-murder-of-chaney-goodman-and-schwerner/ ).

 
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Senseless Killings by The Ku Kluz Klan

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

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These three men pictured above, Mickey Schwerner, Andy Goodman, and James Chaney, were all workers for, a civil rights organization, The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Mickey was born in New York city. All three of these men were Civil Rights Activists, fighting for change, in such a cruel world. Michael Schwerner (Mikey) , hailed from New York City. Andrew Goodman (Andy) also hailed from New York City. James Chaney was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Michael and Goodman were both white males , it was not uncommon for whites to engage in civil rights activism, during this time.  Andy and Michael were both Jewish, educated men, with a drive to promote social reform , for the benefit of African Americans.

 

These three young men, were traveling from the remains of a charred church, in Langdale, MS, which had been burned to the ground by members of the KKK , days prior. The three, were pulled over for speeding , when attempting to return back to Meridian, Mississippi. The driver was  James Chaney. James was arrested and charged with speeding , while the other two men were arrested and brought in for questioning for burning down the church. I do not believe Chaney was speeding , I believe the vehicle he was driving brought attention to him and his driving. Chaney was a black male, and he was driving a vehicle with two white passengers, which drew unwanted attention to him. Upon arrival to the jail, all three men were not allowed a phone call , or the opportunity to pay any of the fines , in order to be released. When they were finally released the men were ordered to get out of town  but were never given the opportunity. When the men did not arrive back to the CORE headquarters , workers started calling around to report the men missing.  Staff at The CORE began calling police stations to inquire about the possible arrest of the men , which was standard protocol. When callers reached the jail the men were being held , the jailor declined to state that the men had ever even been in the town.

As headlines reached all around the world, the two white men , received more media attention than Chaney. Mrs. Schwerner, wife to Mickey and CORE worker, fought to change this narrative. She advocated for everyone , even though her husband was one of the men missing. Investigations by the FBI turned up the vehicle driven by Chaney, which had been attempted to dispose of and fairly soon ,human remains. Members of the KKK had been tipped off by the towns sheriff and alerted of the location of the men. The men were followed, kidnapped, and shot one by one. The case went on to obtain national attention ,but only a handful of the criminals responsible served time.

I would speak up for something that would get me killed. I live by the narrative ,”Is this worth dying over?”, maybe one day I will find the issue that would end with me sacrificing my life. I have yet to find that cause, but I feel like it will happen one day. My life is not worth more than the next person’s , except t me, and that’s a selfish narrative to abide by.

 

 

(Murder in Mississippi | American Experience | Official Site | PBS)

(Andrew Goodman Biography – Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline (thefamouspeople.com)

(James Chaney, Activist born – African American Registry (aaregistry.org)

(Michael Schwerner Biography, Life, Interesting Facts (sunsigns.org)

image-mickey schwerner | Tumblr