Smithsonian Black History Museum Accepts KKK Robes

WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture has acquired two Ku Klux Klan robes that will be exhibited in its future home on the National Mall.

One of the robes donated Monday comes from the family of the late writer Stetson Kennedy, who died in August some six decades after he infiltrated the KKK and exposed its secrets.

The second robe belonged to Phineas Miller Nathaniel Wilds, a chaplain in the Klan. It was donated by his great-great-grandson Richard Rousseau.

The $500 million museum is scheduled to open in 2015. Curators are planning exhibits spanning the journey of slaves from Africa, the Civil War, the civil rights movement and accomplishments in music, sports and culture.

Congress has pledged to provide about half of the cost.

Comments

[mace911]

02:50 AM on 12/05/2011

one day they will all reap what they sow.

[Todd G Chavey]

10:40 PM on 12/04/2011

It may be a reminder of an obstacle for that race. It is in the same vein as Jewish history and the Nazis.

It kind of make one think, "Are there any American Indian museums and do they have any objects that were a major obstacle for them?"

If you really want to look at an injustice to a race, I would imagine the plight of the American Indian dwarfs all others.

[UnknownSolider]

05:53 PM on 12/04/2011

Black history does not start with Slavery

[AntonioSaucedo]

07:56 PM on 12/04/2011

In a way it does. The notion of blackness is a relatively recent Western invention. Most Sub-Saharan Africans probably didn't consider themselves black, in fact, they didn't even consider themselves African, prior to the 1400s. By the same token, whiteness is also a pretty recent invention. So is race.

[Get Real247]

05:11 PM on 12/04/2011

The robes represent America History. White superior over Black and others during that
time in history. History is history.

[jmh6ma]

05:28 PM on 12/04/2011

Actually, that's not what they represented at all. They represent the anxiety whites felt about being outnumbered by African Americans in the South and a deep-seeded fear that blacks might indeed threaten the economic fabric of a few wealthy white men. They never came alone did they??? In fact, I'll tell you what your so-called superiority led to.... a scramble for colonies around the world that culminated into two world wars (100s of millions dead and the death of 6 million innocents at the hands of people obsessed with their own superiority). In the end, these so-called superiors fashioned weapons that had the capabilities to destroy humanity. Is that what you call progress? Or, rather, people behaving like hooded-villians to uphold the sanctity of so-called white society? Everyone's contributed to humanity, man... These people were on the wrong side of history and if you don't understand that then your as dead-wrong as they were/are...

[UnknownSolider]

07:21 AM on 12/05/2011

The KKK was a terrorist organization condoned and even supported at some points by the U.S. Government. The KKK was for blacks Americans the equivalent of today's Al-Qaeda

[Yankeebrown]

07:35 AM on 12/04/2011

If it happaned then it must be shown...

[Le Nwwaert]

08:21 AM on 12/02/2011

I wonder if this museum will focus on the Africans complicity in the slave trade?I'm guessing like most liberal history books it will gloss over the fact,that America's slave trade started with Africans enslaving other Africans and then selling their "brother and sisters" to foreigners.The museum will probably show when Africans were enslaved in Africa it was a pleasant experience,and it only turned into bad slavery when Europeans came around.

[theRealAmerica]

12:28 PM on 12/02/2011

...and your point is what? Because Africans enslaved Africans that the atrocity in America wasn't "that bad"?

[gussom]

03:21 PM on 12/02/2011

No exploitation of the purchased slaves was far worse than anything done by African agents.

[Le Nwwaert]

03:49 PM on 12/02/2011

So being enslaved by an African was a much better experience then being enslaved by others,I'm sure those slaves would disagree.If Africans didn't round up and imprison their own people would the slave trade occurred at all?Whenever I see books,movies about slave trade the focus is always on the European master and African slave,liberals love to gloss over the fact that Africans enslaved their own people and Africans sold their own people.How many tribal chiefs in Africa today can trace their prosperity and wealth back to the slave trade,I'd love to see a movie or book about that,but liberals wont go there.

[ME623]

06:41 AM on 12/02/2011

I think this is a disgrace. Why should these robes on display? This just reminds everyone of their bigotry, their hatred towards Blacks.

[liberalbarbwire]

08:41 AM on 12/02/2011

if thats the case then they shouldnt have any thing from the slave days there either....
just like the days of slavery.. its history....

[msladydeborah]

08:11 AM on 12/04/2011

If we are going to tell OUR story in America, we should not exclude these articles. We need to include these robes because this is a part of the story. In reality, there are just as many KKK minded individuals who have never put on the robe.

Why hide what is true? We are a lot tougher than they will ever be. Many Black people need to see the robe to be reminded of the struggle and what hate produces when it goes unanswered.

[joeyfoto]

01:21 AM on 12/02/2011

What could be more important in Black history, than the Klan. The KKK, the Knights of the White Camelia and their imitators, accomplished with terrorism what the South failed to accomplish at war — they perpetuated the delusions and disease of White Supremacy by burning Black schools and Black churches while murdering teachers and leaders. The KKK represents the triumph of bigotry, ignorance and cowardice in America.

[wizkid14]

07:01 PM on 12/01/2011

*Side-eye* ummm, a picture would suffice! I don't care about the thread count, material, or the way it was constructed. Displaying this mess gives it more prominence than it deserves! IMO

[theRealAmerica]

12:30 PM on 12/02/2011

I bet their will be chains and whips and such in the museum as well...would you think it gives those artifacts prominence...or lend to the story?

[Guardian Weasel]

09:52 AM on 12/01/2011

I think it would look better if that rope were about two feet higher.

[JAT3]

09:43 AM on 12/01/2011

I think it belong as artifacts of history no matter how some might feel otherwise. As people see the museum if your not looking at the actual robe itself, then you would be looking at pictures..so whats the difference. Not having it would be like trying to deny it didn't happen/ didnt exist!

[stealman1001]

01:47 AM on 12/01/2011

Kudos for the courage it took, on behalf of black Americans across the nation, to put this in the museum. To enter something that represents the atrocities that have occured against blacks for years shows a great respect for education in the face of hatred.

[M Smoove]

01:15 AM on 12/01/2011

As much as it would probably anger many of us at just the thought of seeing that robe hanging in a black museum... I think that its something that has to be seen and discussed, because like it or not... It was, and still is a part of our history. Although be it a very ugly part!!!

[gixxerman]

10:52 PM on 11/30/2011

You can buy their new uniform at places like Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic, and other places that have business suits for sale.

[theRealAmerica]

12:30 PM on 12/02/2011

Underrated Genius!

[3daywkend]

09:06 PM on 12/02/2011

The Klan hillbillies all moved up to New York to work for Goldman Sachs?

[hawaiianstile]

10:49 PM on 11/30/2011

thats kinda cool.