Cultural Studies
Ku Klux Klan
27.01.2016
Dean Nestorov
Outline
1. First impression
2. Historical background
3. KKK today
4. Some ridiculous facts
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1. First impression
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2. Historical background
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Most people don't know that there was more than one Ku Klux Klan in the past
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Actually there were three KKK periods in history
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1st Klan (1865-1871)
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2nd Klan (1915-1930)
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3rd Klan (1951-1967)
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2.1. First Klan (1865-1871)
Quod Semper, Quod Ubique, Quod Ab Omnibus
- What always, what everywhere, what by all is held to be true.
[crwflags.com (26.01.2016)]
- Initially not motivated by racist thoughts
"ludicrous initiations, the baffling of public
curiosity, and the amusement for members
were the only objects of the Klan."
[Stevens, Albert C. (1907) The cyclopædia of fraternities]
- Loose structure
- Vigilantes wanted to restore white supremacy
- Radicalization in 1870
- Disbandment in 1871 due to lack of
central hierarchical organization
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2.2. Second Klan (1915-1930)
- Central organization
- funded by initiation fees and costume sales
- 2nd Klan as KKK stereotype of the KKK
- burning of crosses due to anti Catholicism
(less focussing on colored people)
- pro Democratic and Protestant
- Extreme violence led to shrinking
memberships until it fell apart
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2.3. Third Klan (1951-1967)
- loose organization like 1st KKK
- focused on racism
- cooperation with authorities (impunity)
- alliances with governors administrations
(George Wallace)
- Bombings of homes of African Americans
and Civil Rights activists in Alabama and
Mississippi („Bombingham“)
- officially dubbed a terrorist organization
[Smithsonianmag.com, crmvet.org (26.01.2016)]
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3. KKK today (1970's-present)
- focus on immigration,
restoring segregation in public
schools and affirmative action
- bombings, shootings
- Neo-Nazi alliances
- organized into chapters
- unknown member count
- international expansion
(UK, Canada, Australia, Germany – „White
Knights of the KKK“)
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4. Some ridiculous facts
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4. Some ridiculous facts
- characteristic vocabulary from 2nd era with
„Kl“ at the beginning of a word:
- Klaliff - vice president
- Klokard - lecturer
- Kludd - chaplain
- Kligrapp - secretary
- Klabee - treasurer
- Kladd - "conductor", in charge of initiating
new members
- Klarogo - inner guard, serjeant-at-arms
- Klexter - outer guard
[Constitution pp.22-23, 59]
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4. Some ridiculous facts
- characteristic vocabulary from 2nd era with
„Kl“ at the beginning of a word:
- Klaliff - vice president
- Klokard - lecturer
- Kludd - chaplain
- Kligrapp - secretary
- Klabee - treasurer
- Kladd - "conductor", in charge of initiating
new members
- Klarogo - inner guard, serjeant-at-arms
- Klexter - outer guard
[Constitution pp.22-23, 59]
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4. Some ridiculous facts
- characteristic vocabulary from 2nd era with
„Kl“ at the beginning of a word:
- Klaliff - vice president
- Klokard - lecturer
- Kludd - chaplain
- Kligrapp - secretary
- Klabee - treasurer
- Kladd - "conductor", in charge of initiating
new members
- Klarogo - inner guard, serjeant-at-arms
- Klexter - outer guard
[Constitution pp.22-23, 59]
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