Women of the Klan
Racism and Gender in the 1920s
$21.95, £12.95 paperback
978-0-520-07876-5
Available Now
,
July 1992, Available worldwide
Categories: History; Sociology; Women's Studies; United States History; American Studies
July 1992, Available worldwide
Categories: History; Sociology; Women's Studies; United States History; American Studies
"Probably no future history of the Ku Klux Klan will be written without reference to this ground-breaking work."—Publishers Weekly
"[A] superb new book on women in the 1920s Ku Klux Klan . . . . Blee's insight is crucial if we are to uncover, and grasp, the depth of white supremacy."—Dana Frank, The Nation
"A meticulous job of historical sleuthing. . . . This down-home side of the K.K.K. in the 1920s resembles not so much the terrorist Klan of today as the myriad white supremacist groups that rally behind the 'new' David Duke."—Claudia Koonz, New York Times Book Review
"Thanks to Kathleen M. Blee's superb scholarship in Women of the Klan I must now live with the fact that the Klan contained 'all the better people': businessmen, physicians, judges, social workers—even Quakers, political reformers and (this is the truly discomforting part) feminists. . . . Women of the Klan stands before us as carefully garnered, irrefutable evidence that women are capable of asserting their gender rights in the most noisome settings."—Barbara Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Times
"The author's interviews with women who were dedicated members of the Klan in the 1920s are original and remarkable. . . .The hypocrisy revealed in Women of the Klan could easily translate as the stuff of fiction."—Herbert Mitgang, New York Times
"[A] superb new book on women in the 1920s Ku Klux Klan . . . . Blee's insight is crucial if we are to uncover, and grasp, the depth of white supremacy."—Dana Frank, The Nation
"A meticulous job of historical sleuthing. . . . This down-home side of the K.K.K. in the 1920s resembles not so much the terrorist Klan of today as the myriad white supremacist groups that rally behind the 'new' David Duke."—Claudia Koonz, New York Times Book Review
"Thanks to Kathleen M. Blee's superb scholarship in Women of the Klan I must now live with the fact that the Klan contained 'all the better people': businessmen, physicians, judges, social workers—even Quakers, political reformers and (this is the truly discomforting part) feminists. . . . Women of the Klan stands before us as carefully garnered, irrefutable evidence that women are capable of asserting their gender rights in the most noisome settings."—Barbara Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Times
"The author's interviews with women who were dedicated members of the Klan in the 1920s are original and remarkable. . . .The hypocrisy revealed in Women of the Klan could easily translate as the stuff of fiction."—Herbert Mitgang, New York Times
Ignorant. Brutal. Male. One of these stereotypes of the Ku Klux Klan offer a misleading picture. In Women of the Klan, sociologist Kathleen Blee unveils an accurate portrait of a racist movement that appealed to ordinary people throughout the country. In so doing, she dismantles the popular notion that politically involved women are always inspired by pacifism, equality, and justice.
"All the better people," a former Klanswoman assures us, were in the Klan. During the 1920s, perhaps half a million white native-born Protestant women joined the Women's Ku Klux Klan (WKKK). Like their male counterparts, Klanswomen held reactionary views on race, nationality, and religion. But their perspectives on gender roles were often progressive. The Klan publicly asserted that a women's order could safeguard women's suffrage and expand their other legal rights. Privately the WKKK was working to preserve white Protestant supremacy.
Blee draws from extensive archival research and interviews with former Klan members and victims to underscore the complexity of extremist right-wing political movements. Issues of women's rights, she argues, do not fit comfortably into the standard dichotomies of "progressive" and "reactionary." These need to be replaced by a more complete understanding of how gender politics are related to the politics of race, religion, and class.
"All the better people," a former Klanswoman assures us, were in the Klan. During the 1920s, perhaps half a million white native-born Protestant women joined the Women's Ku Klux Klan (WKKK). Like their male counterparts, Klanswomen held reactionary views on race, nationality, and religion. But their perspectives on gender roles were often progressive. The Klan publicly asserted that a women's order could safeguard women's suffrage and expand their other legal rights. Privately the WKKK was working to preserve white Protestant supremacy.
Blee draws from extensive archival research and interviews with former Klan members and victims to underscore the complexity of extremist right-wing political movements. Issues of women's rights, she argues, do not fit comfortably into the standard dichotomies of "progressive" and "reactionary." These need to be replaced by a more complete understanding of how gender politics are related to the politics of race, religion, and class.
Outstanding Book Award, The Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in the United States
Inside Organized Racism, by Kathleen M. Blee