Klansville, U.S.A.

North Carolina was given the nickname “Klansville U.S.A” during their rise to fame in the 1960s. The leader of the Klan, Bob Jones, had a strong political agenda in mind when becoming leader of this Klan. He took the group from just having a few members to having tens of thousands, becoming bigger and more powerful than all other southern states combined. Jones had taken on a forceful, militant leadership style and as a result was known as such and was not well-liked nor respected by those outside of the klan. The KKK started as a group to torment freed slaves, but once it was realized how much they enjoyed the reactions of fear from them, that is when the group turned to violence. The group was on the rise during the 20s, only to diminish for decades to return in the 50s when schools began integrating. In the eyes of leader Bob Jones, the Klan had “saved the South twice….and it looks like we’re going to just have to do it again”.

Through the leadership and teachings of Bob Jones, the group collectively believed that integration and equality for African American citizens was an infringement upon rights and resources for White citizens. Because of his economical background, growing up on the poorer side of the middle class, he firmly believed that African Americans were becoming the barrier between success and White citizens. Members were coaxed and manipulated into believing these teachings and that the only way they could have meaning and be triumphant in this world was to join the Klan and follow these beliefs. Thus, the Klan became comprised of middle class, generally less wealthy individuals seeking power in society through the humiliation and repression of African Americans. 

The use of fear and manipulation had the followers believing that the motivations and doctrine behind the group was solid and true. All the while, it had African Americans living in fear of retribution or retaliation from their White counterparts. The intense fear of failure and lack of worth is what drove the Klan so powerfully through this part of history, particularly with its members. The fact that fear is what drove these people to believing they needed to be saviors of the South is truly terrifying to think about, especially when you consider just how recent these events actually were. In the grand scheme of things, this is still relevant to history and really was not terribly long ago. 

The workings of the Klan itself is what really had me most shocked. I was entirely unaware that this ever was even prevalent in North Carolina, especially to such an extent. The motives, morals and beliefs behind what Bob Jones was demonstrating and fighting for is nothing short of unjust, unethical and unfair. In essence, it is nothing short of disgusting. Though the Klan was eventually deconstructed and brought down from its reign, what it had sought out to do and all the group had accomplished really left me with a strong bitterness and distrust towards my own race at the time. Instead of utilizing time and resources to come together as a collective whole, this group strived to do the exact opposite, overall harming the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans experiencing this oppression over time. 

This documentary from PBS was almost inconceivable for me. Since going to school in North Carolina, it has been a very eye-opening, culture shock in a sense for me as I have lived in New Jersey for all of my life. Life here versus life at home is more different than I would have imagined and through this class, I have only come to learn more about the state of North Carolina and what it has been through. In that, I have learned about things, such as Klansville U.S.A., Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg and many more history altering events that have occurred here and it has entirely changed my perspective on the North versus the South. This documentary, above all other topics, was extremely astonishing and I am more than glad we have progressed as a nation since that time. I am grateful to not be living in Klansville, U.S.A. and brokenhearted for those that lived it.

Hazel Scott

Hazel Scott, born in 1920, was one of the most influential African American musicians of her time. Born in Trinidad, she moved to New York City with her mother and grandmother at a very young age to pursue music, as she was very gifted very early on in her life. Playing a variety of instruments, her forte was performing American jazz through piano and song. Further, she became a very well known face on the screen, becoming a very highly respected and accomplished actress as well, also having her own television show in 1950 called, The Hazel Scott Show. Hazel Scott was a positive, strong-willed leader in fighting for civility and equality for African Americans, especially being a strong voice for women, particularly those who were African American. 

Scott was extremely invested in the Civil Rights Movement and was determined to use her widely known and recognized platform to make advancements towards the movement. She would only be sure to take on roles that portrayed both African Americans and females in a positive light. She knew that since she was so well respected and followed, regardless of the oppositions she may face, she had the power and the voice to take a stand and place a spotlight on the issues of civil rights and racial and gender injustices. In radio, music and television, she became known as “Hazel Scott: Jazz star and barrier breaker”, putting her in the forefront with other influential leaders fighting for the same causes. 

She fiercely stood up against segregation on all fronts and found the idea to be repulsive. She refused to perform in places where African Americans and White individuals were forced to be seated separately. In Time Magazine, she stated, “Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?”, as she could not understand the disparities and hardships that existed towards the African American people, as it seemed so unjust and unfair. She also was sure to refuse any role in movies or television that compromised the integrity of females, either portraying females as sexual characters, or background actresses needing no recognition. She did the same when it came to taking roles that would cast African Americans in a bad light stereotyping based on the color of her skin. Fighting against racial prejudice was her main goal, and she at the very least gained attention and insight towards the cause through her performances and her activism.

I firmly believe that Hazel Scott had to overcome significant barriers in order to be as successful and admired as she was. It is no secret that African Americans were constantly faced with fierce opposition and trials against them, yet she never allowed that to discourage nor deter her. Not only did she make sure she stood up for her own morals and what she believed was right, she did so with class and grace and stood up for the people around her even more. Being an African American female during the Civil Rights Movement was very difficult and being even remotely respected, at that, was seemingly impossible. Yet, she defied the odds and still did just that, despite what other views might have to say about it. I really respect and admire all she was working towards accomplishing and find it to be miraculous the way in which she approached the entire thing. If you never heard of Hazel Scott, now you have, and it is more than clear to see why she would be someone worth knowing about. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Scott#Early_life

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hazel_Scott_Show

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hazel-scott

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/hazel-scott-jazz-entertainer-fought-racial-segregation/

Final Blog Post: Turn Back The Clock Era

During our final class discussion, we discussed a variety of topics, both those covered in class and those not. Throughout this course I have gained knowledge and insight on a variety of historical events and what each of them did to influence our world today. It was really interesting to me to just have an open forum discussion as such and to hear everyone's open and honest views on everything we talked about. It was eye-opening to me to see just how much human experience changes each of us on individuals and influences the way in which we view the world around us. 

Within this discussion, we discussed political issues, such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, societal issues, such as the way social media and media in general influences society, and a variety of other topics. The discussion really brought the class full circle, analyzing how things have changed as times have progressed and what the world looks like today, either better or worse off than it was before. The end of the discussion posed the following question: If you had to put a name for the so-called “era” we are living in right now, what would you name it and why?

If I really had to put a name to this era, I would choose to call it the “Turn Back The Clock Era”. It is no secret that as history has progressed, there have been countless numbers of events that have occurred over time that greatly influenced the world as we live in it today. However, with that being said, I think society has slowly inched backward in some ways. This, therefore, cancels out the progressions we had seen over the years thanks to some of our nation’s most influential leaders, including but not limited to, president’s, Civil Rights activists, theorists and more. While I do not believe there is one singular catalyst to this effect we are seeing, there are a variety of things that have greatly altered our world that are oftentimes overlooked, most of which coming to mind for me being covered in our class discussion.

One factor covered in our discussion, in my opinion, would be religion. I strongly believe that over time, religion has become a major basis for the thinking of not only our nation’s people, but more specifically political leaders. Religion seems to now have influence on how courts may vote, something that was looked at in a very different light in say the 1950s. This lessens the faith of the people in the political system, since politics have become so divided, as the people strongly believe in following those that have morals and views that align with their own. One of the more recent examples of this would be Amy Coney Barrett becoming Supreme Court Justice after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The two, not only having completely opposing political views, have totally different views on almost everything else. This was a monumental moment in the Supreme Court and has been very controversial in society. 

Another crucial factor I’d like to consider is the effect social media and the media as a whole has on society. While times were changing and developing, commemorative historical events occurred all the time, social media, radio, television, newspapers etcetera, some of these things did not even exist. The things that did exist were not nearly as advanced and widespread as we see media influence today. Media as a whole plays a huge role in the idea of polarization, the divergence of attitudes away from the center, more towards ideological extremes. This can be on the basis of political views, morals, race and a variety of other factors. The goal of our nation and many of its leaders, as a whole, was to work towards a more integrated, equal society and culture. This is oftentimes being displaced by things, such as social media, causing a digression in unity and peace amongst the nation’s citizens. Further, media has played a huge role in the way in which we receive, process and share information. When a media outlet releases a story, it oftentimes is eventually talked about with biased opinions, influencing the way we decide upon our own views on matters that influence our society. We have gotten so used to the media and know it so frequently talks about influential topics. As Professor Smith said, “A dog barked and the caravan moved on”, which I feel most accurately represents the weight of this topic. We hear a story, we talk about it for a while and then like nothing, it disappears. It gets swept under the rug by other things, sometimes never to be heard of again.

If we continue down this path with our ignorance to significantly important things, such as gender equality, racial equality and so on, we will make no progress. Consequently, we will continue to digress as a societal whole, as I believe we already have begun to do. Think of our most well-known leaders towards civil and human rights, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and some of our nation’s greatest presidents. The list goes on. If all of these people were standing here today, would they be proud of the society they saw before them? Would they be ashamed of what they saw? Would you be able to confidently say that society has continued to progress only forward and will continue to do so at the rate we are going? I for one, cannot, and I firmly believe that in taking a look at the world as it stands today, if things continue down this path, we are in for a rude awakening. Our nation may begin to crumble, and who's to say if we will have the proper leaders and representation to overcome and rise above it? It is time to make a change, while we are still able, and the time is now. The “Turn Back The Clock Era” will quickly become the “Erase History Era” if we do not see change.