Georgia State University Archives: Ku Klux Klan and Stetson Kennedy
Link to Digital Home: http://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/lane/id/8576/rec/11
INFORMATION:
NAME- Ku Klux Klan Ritual On Stone Mountain, Georgia
DATE- July 14, 1939
ORIGINAL SOURCE- Negative
ARTISTS- Lane Brothers Commercial Photography
The Lane Brothers were a duo of commercial photographers in the Atlanta and surrounding areas from the 1920's until to the mid 1970's. They sought to capture the economic growth, social change, and landscape of the South’s biggest city as they also began to sell prints to news stories and created the Lane Brothers Photo News Service. Many of their images showcase Atlanta’s growing skyline coupled with the construction of new streets and highways. During the preparations for World War II, the photographs the brothers began to capture became more political in their statements and they focused on Blacks voting, Ku Klux Klan activities, and labor union events.
ANALYSIS:
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This photo is interesting in many ways as it depicts a real ritual of the Klan. The focus is split in the image between the American flag and the robed member of the Klan. The Lane Brothers chose to do this as a way to separate the two entities while also showing how they are merged. First, the separation of the Klan’s ideals from what the Flag stands for is apparent. As the Klan originally formed out of disgruntled Confederates who’s anti-nationalistic views were not being heard, the Klan emerged to voice those opinions as a legitimate political party. Over the years, obviously the Klan merged into a marginalized organization who partook in terroristic actions and again did not adhere to the freedoms that the American flag represents. The merging of the two, both object and subject, represents the nationalistic views that are not so apparent in America. While most people do not wear robes and burn crosses, the foundation of America is found on the same principles as the Klan is. The “pure” blood of America that the Klan believes in is very much the same ideals as the all white founding fathers.
Kennedy, Stetson. “Manuscript from Jim Crow Guide to the USA.”Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. Stetson Kennedy Collection. Box 1518, Folder 60.
INFORMATION:
NAME- “Manuscript from Jim Crow Guide to the USA.”
DATE- n.d.
AUTHOR- Stetson Kennedy
Stetson Kennedy was a prolific figure who became notorious as the man who exposed the Ku Klux Klan. As a writer, he wrote many folklore histories and mentored Zora Neale Hurston in her writing. The stories which Kennedy initially found were leaked to the writers of the Superman program, and they made a storyline in which Superman takes down the Klan. Ironically, later as the history was written, Kennedy became the man to take down the Klan. By exposing the Klan of tax evasions and other illegal activities, Kennedy single handedly found information to expose the Klan and lead Georgia to taking away the states official charter.
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION: Jim Crow Guide to the USA
Stetson Kennedy writes about how the American system of government and justice systematically creates apartheid against all non-whites. While the book is set up like a manual of sort, it is full of real legislation, ordinances, and statements that created the environment of segregation and systemic racism in the U.S. South. Also, the book was republished and made Amazon’s Editors’ best of 2014 list.
ANALYSIS:
Stetson Kennedy’s strong writing style is crucial to the analysis of this piece. As a man who was not scared to write his emotions as well as his factual findings, it is important to note that he uses the word genocide when describing the actions of the government and citizens in the killing of Black’s. While some would argue that the lynching and treatment of Black’s would not constitute “genocide,” Kennedy couples the use of the word by using it in context with the “national policy” of the country to keep it a “white man’s country.” The strong language is specifically used to evoke emotions. I chose this manuscript as a nice secondary piece to the Lane Brothers image. The American flag in the image is the contextualized image of the national policy while the Klan represents one aspect of the hand that brings about the genocide against the Black population.
