A photographer hung out with the KKK in Tennessee and Maryland, here’s what he saw
Writer Kenneth Dickerman April 8 at 8:02 AMA cross lighting after the wedding of two members of the KKK, Tennessee, 2015. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
The wife of a member of the KKK at a gathering for a BBQ and cross lighting/burning ritual in Maryland. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
The Ku Klux Klan is the oldest and most well-known hate group in the United States. At one point, during its heyday, the Klan boasted a membership of around 4 million. That number has greatly dwindled, with the Southern Poverty and Law Center putting current numbers between 8,000 and 10,000. Despite their fewer numbers, the KKK has seen some recent exposure in mainstream society, most notably during this campaign season.
In February, former Knights of the Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, and politician, David Duke expressed support for Donald Trump, telling listeners of his radio show they would “meet people who are going to have the same kind of mindset that you have” if they went to one of his rallies and that “voting against Donald Trump at this point is really treason to your heritage.” Trump came under heavy criticism for not immediately and consistently disavowing Duke. When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Trump if he would disavow Duke, his response was, “I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists….So I don’t know. I don’t know — did he endorse me, or what’s going on? Because I know nothing about David Duke; I know nothing about white supremacists.” A few days later, Trump did reject Duke’s support, telling NBC: “I don’t mind disavowing anybody, and I disavowed David Duke. And I disavowed him the day before at a major news conference…. I have no problem disavowing groups, but I’d at least like to know who they are. It would be very unfair to disavow a group if the group shouldn’t be disavowed. I have to know who the groups are. But I disavowed David Duke.”
Photographer Peter van Agtmael, on assignment for a European magazine, in 2015, headed to Tennessee and Maryland, where he spent time with some members of today’s KKK. His pictures offer us a glimpse into a world that despite having been around for a long time in the United States, is still rarely seen by most Americans.
Van Agtmael is represented by Magnum Photos; more of his work can be seen here and here.
A KKK members puts away his robe after a BBQ and cross lighting/burning ritual in Maryland. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
A member of the KKK at his home in Maryland. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
A KKK BBQ and cross lighting/burning ritual in Maryland. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
The wedding of two members of the KKK in a barn in rural Tennessee. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
A member of the KKK after a cross lighting/burning in Maryland. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
A member of the KKK shoots his handgun on a neighbor’s property. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
Two people have a smoke at the wedding of two members of the KKK in a barn in rural Tennessee. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
A KKK member at his barn in rural Tennessee by the North Carolina border. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
An Anne Frank poster in the barn of a KKK member in Tennessee. The sign reads “Anne Frank – Hide and Seek World Champion 1942-1944.” (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
The wedding of two members of the KKK in a barn in rural Tennessee. (Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos)
Kenneth Dickerman is a photo editor at The Washington Post.
An internet friend was surprised at my distaste for Anonymous and these pictures show why. I grew up in Virginia seeing these sorts of pictures. There is a reason people hide their faces. . . . .in at least a little shame, I hope. Hate is a terrible thing notsoley in the US, but skinheads and neo-Nazis in Europe. I think we need to shine light on all this evil whenever we have the chance.
I, personally, don’t think that Donald Trump is a racist, but his handling of the David Duke episode was clumsy at best. People who belong to the KKK are on the margin of society. They are not educated, traveled, and are often poor and without jobs that they may think were taken by illegal immigrants. This hatred and jealousy has shifted from African Americans to illegal immigrants whom they think are getting their jobs and maybe their government benefits.
As it seems always the case, it is about money and/ or power at the root of evil from the rich leaders of the world hiding money off shore and not paying taxes to the the underclass of white America!
TalesAlongTheWay 