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Ku Klux Klan, Broadsides, 1966 and 1967

CONTENT WARNING

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation. 

Context

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK), or the Klan, is an extremist organization that promotes white supremacy and “100 percent Americanism.” The Klan experienced three distinct periods of power in the United States: during Reconstruction (1865–1870s), between the World Wars (1915–1944), and during the Civil Rights Movement (1950s–1960s). Of these periods, the only sustained success for the group in Virginia came following World War I, as the KKK capitalized on cultural trends, such as the popular 1915 film Birth of a Nation, and fear mongering of anything “Un-American.” In addition to advocating white supremacy and racist beliefs, the Klan also targeted Jews, Catholics, other immigrant groups, organized labor, the alcohol industry, and prostitution.

The KKK experienced a national resurgence in the 1950s and 1960s in response to the Civil Rights Movement, although activity in Virginia was limited. After crosses were burned in some parts of the state, the General Assembly passed a bill in 1953 to prohibit the wearing of masks and cross burning in public. In 1965, Klan leaders from North Carolina attempted to revive the group's strength in Virginia. In 1966 an African American church in Richmond was bombed, bringing the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Governor Mills E. Godwin later publicly condemned the Klan after being pressured to do so by the NAACP. The Klan attempted to rally in the face of the administration’s rebuke, but the commonwealth was not overtly hospitable to the Klan. Instead, the General Assembly relied on the legislation it had passed during the 1950s to protect the racial hierarchy in Virginia. It took federal actions, including the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Voting Rights Act (1965), and the Federal Fair Housing Act (1968), to begin desegregating Virginia's public facilities and neighborhoods. While the Ku Klux Klan still exists today, the group’s power and organization is a far cry from what it exhibited a century ago.

One of these broadsides advertises a Ku Klux Klan rally held on July 8, 1966, near the town of Concord in Campbell County. It illustrates how the Klan strove to build up public support in Virginia through claims—legitimate ones—that its members were targeted by the FBI and law enforcement in the state. The other broadside was passed out by Virginia Klan members in July 1967 after its leader was arrested for operating an illegal lottery with a car as one of the prizes. 

Broadsides are primary sources that provide unique perspectives on the past. They are printed on one side of a sheet of paper and are posted or distributed as advertisements or bulletins. They are an effective way of connecting people and conveying information. Often broadsides reported newsworthy events or provided additional information or instructions to people. Perhaps most importantly, broadsides are ephemeral in nature, intended for their audience in a particular time and place, giving the historian an unfiltered look at the topic at hand.

Citation: United Klans of America, Virginia Realm. Learn the truth and the truth shall make you free: Klan rally, South Hill, Va.: Virginia Realm, United Klans of America [1966], Broadside 1966 .U6 FF, and The Klan wants you to know Virginia has two set [sic] of laws [1967], Broadside 196- .K95 BOX, both in Special Collections, Library of Virginia.


For more information, read Encyclopedia Virginia's entry on the "Ku Klux Klan in Virginia" online.

See a visualization of the expansion of the KKK in the United States at Virginia Commonwealth University's oniine project Mapping the Second Ku Klux Klan, 1915–1940.

Standards

VS.11, USII.8, VUS.16, VUS.17

Suggested Questions

Preview Activity

Scan It: Read through the broadsides. What words stand out to you, and why? Why do you think the writers wanted these words to stand out?

Post Activities

Dig Deeper: Look at the Document Bank entry on Massive Resistance: https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/admin/items/show/206.
Why do you think the General Assembly tried to stop Klan activities when the legislation, like the KKK activities, was to maintain segregation at almost all costs?

Current Connection: Read the language of these broadsides. How are the members of the KKK portraying themselves, and why? Do you think their complaints are legitimate? Why or why not? How might you compare their rhetoric to some of what you read and hear in the political world today?