Posted on 07/25/2018 3:37:41 PM PDT by proxy_user
I own Ku Klux Klan regalia. I use it as a teaching tool in my history classes — oh, and I’m black. These three facts never fail to produce open-mouthed curiosity or incredulity. The most obvious question is how the regalia came into my possession. With a straight face, I say that in the late 1980s the Klan was going through hard times so they started an Affirmative Action program for self-hating minorities. Some people — amazingly — believe that, and some people don’t. (I confess. I have a devilish sense of humor!) The real answer is that before becoming a mild-mannered college professor, I had spent a dozen years in law enforcement, first as a police officer in Savannah, Georgia, and then as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, ATF for short. It’s the agency responsible for enforcing federal firearms, arson and explosives law. White supremacist groups have a penchant for illegal firearms and explosives. Our office investigated a Klan group in north Georgia, and when the case was over, I decided to keep the white hood and robe.
The next logical question is why — why would a black man want a Ku Klux Klan outfit? After all, the Klan is the single most recognizable manifestation of anti-black racism and violence in the history of the country — and that is precisely why I wanted to own it. I wanted to possess this symbol of hatred to demonstrate to myself and others that it was nothing more than a cheap polyester costume. I had learned that while dangerous, most white supremacists are tiny people who lack conviction when confronted by those who are not afraid of them. I used to let my nephew walk around in it when he was a kid. Now he’s a man, and he’s not afraid of white supremacists either. So that’s how and why a black man ended up owning Ku Klux Klan regalia.
One of the great challenges facing history teachers is making the past real for students. We do so through primary sources, documentaries, movies and artifacts. Being able to see and touch objects from the past is one of the most effective ways of making history concrete. So there was never any doubt in my mind that I would use the Klan costume in class. In the early years, I wore it myself (a student picture of the spectacle was my first Facebook profile pic). I knew that the shock of the regalia itself and the incongruity of having a black man wear it would create a real and surreal experience, one that would provoke spirited and thoughtful discussion. It did. A few years in, I decided to get students to wear it. The outfit was always too small for me, and I would be better able to describe its features (the hood, the blood red circular emblem with St. Andrew’s cross, etc.) if a student wore it.
Who is willing to serve as Klan model has changed over the years, in telling ways. Initially some white men would wear it; now none do. Their reactions to it were the most striking. Like most students, wearing it started out as a gag — until they put the hood over their heads. Many began to shake visibly as the reality of what they were wearing and what it meant sank in. This realization led to some of the most insightful conversations that I’ve had. But that was years ago; like I said, no white male student will put it on now. I understand why, but that feels like a loss.
College students have come a long way in thinking about white supremacy and being sensitive to the experiences and perceptions of non-whites. But have we reached a point where that sensitivity can be a barrier to learning? Think about it. Could a white professor own Ku Klux Klan regalia? Wear it in class? Ask students to wear it? Use the language that Klansmen used while wearing it? Reflecting on those questions will provide yet another opportunity for the white robe and hood to teach us something about ourselves.
Professor McNair is a large black guy who definitely looks like senior LEA. I'll bet his classes are a lot of fun if you're open to learning from a different point of view.
I’d love to reenact World War II but I won’t be wearing a Nazi uniform anytime soon. Soon, a Confederate uniform will be verboten.
“One of the great challenges facing history teachers is making the past real for students.”
One of the great challenges for the Repatriation movement is making the past real in the present when the present bigots dont have white robes... or skin.
I had some black lives matter regalia but the dog kept burying it because of teh smell....
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