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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Victims of Hate.

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

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Three men were brought to the attention of the public when they disappeared near a town named Philadelphia in Mississippi. 

Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were victims of heinous murders committed by the Klu Klux Klan. They were targeted because of their involvement in civil right activism. Schwerner and Goodman were members of the Congress of Racial Equality, also known as the CORE. 

Michael Schwerner was not only an activist but was a husband. He was married to Rita Levant, at the time of his death she was attending Queen’s College. He grew up in New York City and was raised by his father and mother, Nathan and Ann Schwerner. 

Like Schwerner, Andrew Goodman was also from New York City. He was the son of Robert Goodman and Carolyn Goodman and the brother of Johnathan and David. At the time of his death, he was still attending college. He died at age 20. 

James Chaney was one of two sons  Fannie Lee and Ben Chaney had. His little brother’s name was Ben, he was only nine years younger than him. Unlike Schwerner and Goodman, Chaney was born in Meridian, Mississippi. 

All three victims had families they were ripped away from. They were ripped away from the opportunity to continue to advocate for civil rights. They were ripped away from their lives by individuals with such heinous intentions. Unfortunately, they are known for their murders but should be recognized for their lives and the impact they were trying to make.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-kkk-kills-three-civil-rights-activistshttps://www.visitmeridian.com/explore/historic-trail-markers/civil-rights/civil-rights-trail-marker-18/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedomsummer-murder/

 
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