Klansville U.S.A.

Filmmaker Callie T. Wiser's PBS-aired American Experience documentary—partially based on the titular 2012 book by David Cunningham—traces Ku Klux Klan activity in North Carolina during the mid-1960s when the Civil Rights movement began to make political and social progress. The Klan's abrupt growth from low numbers to 10,000 members in a span of two years was due largely to Bob Jones, a former lightning rod salesman who successfully tapped into the fear and paranoia of low-income whites who believed an integrated South would bring about their ruin. Although Jones's methods were relatively benign in comparison to other segregationist demonstrations of the era—except for the hooded outfits and burning crosses, his Klan activities were mostly non-threatening and somewhat dull—his organizational skills were exceptional. Most notably, Jones attracted an audience of 2,000 for a rally in the nation's capital held a mere three days after the landmark 1963 March on Washington. But Jones's period of power was brief, and the federal government was instrumental in bringing about his downfall. At the end, Klansville U.S.A. gives a somewhat erroneous impression regarding the Republican Party's role in Southern politics, ignoring that much of the opposition to federal civil rights laws came from Democrats, many of whom were racist demagogues during the Jim Crow era. Aside from that misstep, this well-made documentary is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)