Klansville recap

 Watching “Klansville U.S.A.” left me feeling really unsettled, especially because I can see so many parallels to what’s happening today. Coming from a diverse boarding school where I was surrounded by kids from sixty different countries and all kinds of backgrounds, I’ve always been baffled by how hate groups actually gain followers. When you’re exposed to so many different people, you realize how much you gain from that diversity - it just makes you a better, more well-rounded person. What really got to me was learning that North Carolina was considered progressive at the time, yet it became “Klansville.” It’s a harsh reminder that prejudice can pop up anywhere, even in places we think are enlightened or safe from that kind of thinking. The part about Bob Jones exploiting people’s economic fears really hit home for me. As a college student worried about job prospects in this insane economy, I get economic anxiety - we’re all feeling it. But the way these people channeled that fear into cruelty and hatred was just strange and disturbing. Instead of addressing real economic problems, they found scapegoats. The documentary also made me think about my own privilege. While I stress about my future, I’ve never had to fear that social progress would somehow threaten my basic rights or safety. My grandparents lived through the civil rights era, but they rarely talk about it. When they do share something, it’s always followed by “I regret that time so much” or that old saying about the ’60s. Now I wonder what they witnessed or maybe stayed silent about. What’s scary is how I see the same patterns Jones used when I’m scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. There’s constant talk about economic insecurity and racial resentment disguised as “economic anxiety.” I hear it in regular conversations too - people mask their prejudice with this anxiety we all share, but there’s often something hazy and racist behind their words. Understanding this history feels crucial for my generation. We need to learn from the past to recognize these patterns when they emerge, and honestly, we’re not doing a great job. We have riots, looting, people being killed every single day. Some days it’s sickening opening my computer to check the news because there’s one thing that always happens in history - it repeats itself. We can’t let that happen again.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The KK was very bad group.