Kennedy was a native of florida who made many contributions to folklore studies and american life, and created unique and compelling field recordings of multicultural floridians for the library of congress. I done spent my last three cents mailing my letter to the president i didnt make a show, i didnt make a dent so im swinging over to this independent gent stetson kennedy writing his name in. Making the south safe for democracy and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Irehr board member dan levitas remembers for all of us the life of stetson kennedy. He spoke with cracker cowmen, seminole indians, greek sponge divers, latin cigar rollers. Had he not died in 2011, kennedy would have been 100 years old this week. Stetson university was founded in 1883 with the vision of preparing students for lives of significance times have changed, but our vision has remained constant. Sep 19, 2011 william stetson kennedy was born on october 5 1916 in jacksonville, florida, and was related on his mothers side to john stetson, the hat manufacturer. Stetson kennedy, unmasker of the klan diane roberts world. Fastpaced and suspenseful, the book is a gripping mix of eyewitness reports of klan activities, accounts of kennedys clandestine informationgathering, and his efforts to report his findings to the media and. By being competitive now, people have do something to make them survives, being in the middle of the particular crowded place and notice by surrounding. William stetson kennedy october 5, 1916 august 27, 2011 was an american author, folklorist and human rights activist. With a new introduction by david pilgrim and a new authors note kennedy, stetson, kennedy, stetson, pilgrim, david on. When a young writer and activist named stetson kennedy decided to expose the secrets of the ku klux klan, he looked to a certain superhero for inspiration.
The stetson kennedy collection 19161950 consists of kennedys research files on various organizations, individuals, and subjects. After graduating from the university of florida he joined the federal writers project 193539. Southern exposure florida sand dollar book kennedy, stetson. William stetson kennedy was born in jacksonville florida on october 5, 1916 to george and willie stetsonkennedy. The mock guidebook covers every area of activity where the tentacles of jim crow reached. Read the fulltext online edition of southern exposure 1946. Kennedy after a lifetime championing human rights, cultural heritage and environmental stewardship, author and activist stetson kennedy, 94, passed away on august 27, 2011. Unlike imaginary characters, the people he wrote about were real, and through his words, they live still. Stetson kennedy was a superhero at catching the essence of floridas culturally diverse population. William stetson kennedy was born on october 5 1916 in jacksonville, florida, and was related on his mothers side to john stetson, the hat manufacturer. Palmetto country, southern exposure, the jim crow guide, the klan unmasked, and after appomattox.
Florida folklorist, social activist and writer stetson. Kennedys career as an author began in the 1930s when he worked as both a writer and an editor on the federal writers project guide to florida. Kennedy based the book primarily on previously unpublished materials from fwp files. He attended the university of florida, the new school for social research, and the university of paris. Stetson kennedy, one of the pioneer folklore collectors during the first half of the twentieth century, was born in jacksonville, florida in 1916. I didnt even know stetsons name until i was in my mid30s, and i consider that a travesty, jimmy schmidt, a staff member of gainesvilles activist civic media center. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Stetson kennedy papers uf special and area studies collections. As a teenager he began collecting cracker and africanamerican folksay material while he was collecting dollar down and dollar a week accounts for his father, a furniture merchant. Aug 29, 2011 miami ap stetson kennedy, who infiltrated the ku klux klan six decades ago and exposed its secrets but was criticized for possibly exaggerating his exploits, died on saturday. How superman defeated the ku klux klan mental floss. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. Stetson kennedy words by woody guthrie, music by billy bragg. Stetson kennedy was born in jacksonville on october 5, 1916.
I caint win out to save my soul long as smathersduponts got me in the hole. The stetson sanford house in milledgeville, which serves as headquarters for the old capital museum society, is a family home on. Stetson kennedy, author of the ku klux klan study southern exposure, with one of the klans pamphlets entitled white community. Sep 02, 2011 cover image of stetson kennedys i rode with the ku klux klan 1954, later renamed the klan unmasked. Stetson kennedy was an author, folklorist, environmentalist, labor activist, and human rights advocate. The nonprofit foundation he launched while still alive is marking the occasion with a series of events that start this week with a biographical drama of kennedys life and what a life it was. While working on the project kennedy was deeply influenced by the book, you have seen their faces 1937, a documentary account of impoverished living conditions in the south, that had been produced by the. A filing case bursting with documented evidence against almost every phase of southern life. From 1937 to 1942, kennedy traveled throughout florida recording the oral histories, folktales, and work songs of the states diverse population. Stetson kennedy, who unmasked the ku klux klan after infiltrating it and remains a prominent voice for unions, labor and civil rights, gives a free lecture at stetson university. Stetson kennedy spies on the ku klux klan and uses his knowledge to take them down with a little help from superman.
Mar 28, 2011 stetson kennedy, who unmasked the ku klux klan after infiltrating it and remains a prominent voice for unions, labor and civil rights, gives a free lecture at stetson university. Johns county the opportunity to continue the legacy of stetson kennedy and his vision for the future as a literary landmark, to carry forward the shared kennedy guthrie threefold legacy of devotion to human rights, mother earth and the traditional culture. More parts of the collection will become available as the collection is processed. The book was rereleased in 1990 as the klan unmasked. Read the fulltext online edition of after appomattox. Walter winchell reprinted from the original book cover a filing case bursting with documented evidence against almost every phase of southern life. The stetson kennedy collection 19161950 consists of kennedy s research files on various organizations, individuals, and subjects. Beluthahatchee park william bartram scenic and historic. Stetson kennedys premise argued and documented here as never before is that the verdict of appomattox was. The klan unmasked by stetson kennedy 1990, paperback for. Cover image of stetson kennedys i rode with the ku klux klan 1954, later renamed the klan unmasked. One of the pioneer folklore collectors during the first half of the 20th century, he is remembered for having infiltrated the ku klux klan in the 1940s, exposing its secrets to authorities and the outside world.
Stetson kennedy is an awardwinning author and human rights activist. Klan buster stetson kennedy who exposed the ku klux klan. Kennedy archives kennedy published two books based on his undercover activities. Besides documenting the career and writings of stetson kennedy, the collection is an important record of labor and civil rights movements of the day, for which he frequently advocated, and also contains information about many of the people kennedy knew. How superman and stetson kennedy took down the klu klux klan. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included.
Aug 28, 2011 miami author and folklorist stetson kennedy, who infiltrated the ku klux klan six decades ago and exposed its secrets to authorities and the public but was also criticized for possibly. The stetson sanford house in milledgeville, which serves as headquarters for the old capital museum society, is a family home on his mothers side. He decides the best way to bring the klan to its knees is to go undercover as a klan member and get the dirt on the klan into the public eye. Stetson kennedys the klan unmasked 1990 hoodwinked. Johns county the opportunity to continue the legacy of stetson kennedy and his vision for the future as a literary landmark, to carry forward the shared kennedyguthrie threefold legacy of devotion to human rights, mother earth and the traditional culture. Reading palmetto country as a research tool gave me a greater understanding of who we were then, and what we have become. He wrote this one long letter on the back of the dust jacket of the book. Stetson kennedy, folklorist, antracist and antifascist, friend of richard wright in paris and published by jean paul sartre, died on august 27, 2011. Southern exposure by stetson kennedy, 1946 online research. Stetson kennedy papers uf special and area studies. Stetson kennedy, 94, a writer who documented daily life in the depressionera south and who produced a controversial book about the inner workings of the ku klux klan, died aug. With great sadness, the american folklife center announces the death of folklorist, writer and activist stetson kennedy. The klan unmasked by stetson kennedy, paperback barnes. A tongueincheek travel guide to the united states as stetson kennedy saw it in the 1950s when segregation was still firmly in place and when there were many barriers in housing, education, and job opportunities for blacks, native americans, jews, puerto ricans, mexican americans, and almost anyone who was not a white protestant.
He was also known for his infiltration of the ku klux klan during the 1940s. Stetson kennedy collected folklore and oral histories throughout florida for the wpa between 1937 and 1942. Follow stetson kennedy and explore their bibliography from s stetson kennedy author page. Sep 18, 2011 stetson kennedy, the american investigative journalist who died on august 27 aged 94, became the scourge of the ku klux klan after he infiltrated the white supremacist group and exposed its secret. The book examined many aspects of traditional life, especially among florida crackers, african americans, and cuban americans. Ive been doing this for too many decades to owe anybody much of an apology.
In this 21st centuries, people become competitive in each and every way. Folklorist, author, and activist stetson kennedy was born on october 5, 1916. The klan unmasked is the true story of the author, stetson kennedy, in an undercover battle with the famed white supremacist group, the ku klux klan. I wrote a book called palmetto country in 1942, and alan lomax, the music historian, read it and liked it, so he passed it on to woody.
From the texts of state statutes, municipal ordinances, federal regulations, and judicial rulings, kennedy exhumes the. We of the north have been too long deceived by the surface charm of the south, by the sincere friendliness and hospitality of the southern people, which is a thin crust over the treacherous economic and social quicksand that engulfs the mass of the southern population, newsman leeds moberly has written. Refers to stetson kennedy as southern patriot and suggests the, christian american fascist outfit uses slick words to keep your people brokedated april 21, 1945. William stetson kennedy was born in jacksonville, florida, on october 5, 1916, to willye stetson and george wallace kennedy. Stetson kennedy, 94, author who exposed klans secrets. William stetson kennedy october 5, 1916 august 27, 2011 was an american author and human rights activist. Moreover, he had admitted as much to peggy bulger 20 years before. Stetson kennedy, nemesis of kkk and jim crow, is dead at 94. Typewritten note from woody guthrie to stetson kennedy about the book palmetto country. In the 1940s he managed to join the klan in atlanta and p. His father was from statesboro, and his mothers family was from macon and milledgeville. Klan buster stetson kennedy who exposed the ku klux klans.
One of the pioneer folklore collectors during the first half of the 20th century, hes remembered for having infiltrated the ku klux klan in the 1940s, exposing its secrets to authorities and the outside world. Stetson kennedy was born in jacksonville, florida, in 1916. Commemorating the life of stetson kennedy, the florida. Stetson kennedys i rode with the klan and later, the klan unmasked 1954. Collected during the 1930s and 1940s, the material provided the basis for the books southern exposure and i rode with the ku klux klan and many newspaper and magazine articles. He was exposed at an early age to segregation and the unequal treatment of minorities. Oct 31, 2009 when a young writer and activist named stetson kennedy decided to expose the secrets of the ku klux klan, he looked to a certain superhero for inspiration.
Southern exposure by stetson kennedy and a great selection of related. Jim crow guide documents the system of legally imposed american apartheid that prevailed during what stetson kennedy calls the long century from emancipation to the overcoming. Kennedy authored eight books, including palmetto country, southern exposure, and the klan unmasked. A book that has been read but is in good condition. The result was this classic florida book, back in print for the first time in more than twenty years with an afterword update and dozens of historic photographs never before published with this work. It includes a short, 1 page reading and 8 comprehension questions. Stetson kennedys 100th birthday florida historical society. Stetson kennedy is not someone we are going to find in a mainstream history book, but hes someone we find when we are ready to strike against injustice and inequality. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Stetson kennedy was married seven times, lastly, in 2006, to sandra parks, an author and owner of a bookshop at st augustine, florida. Beluthahatchee park william bartram scenic and historic highway.
Stetson kennedy here tells the story of his postworld war ii years as an undercover agent in the kkk where he rose to kleagle rank. Oct 22, 2014 stetson kennedy was an activist and author that lived during wwi, wwii, the great depression, the jim crow south, the house of unamerican activities, the civil rights movement and was an activist for. This book is set in the deep south of georgia, mainly in the years following world war ii. Levitt new york times magazine january 8, 2006 article revising an earlier assessment in the book freakonomics of the work of stetson kennedy in infiltrating the.
This worksheet tells the amazing true story of how stetson kennedy infiltrated the kkk and used information he learned at their meetings to bring ridicule to the organization. Stetson kennedy, the civil rights activist, journalist, folklorist, author and lecturer, died in st. In his 1954 book i rode with the ku klux klan, kennedy wrote that he gained entrance to the klan by posing as an encyclopedia salesman and using the name of. Stetson kennedy, 94, author who exposed klans secrets the. Stetson kennedy, unmasker of the klan diane roberts. Kennedy is also known as a pioneering folklorist, a labor activist, and environmentalist.
From 1937 to 1942, kennedy traveled the cities, towns, and rural backwoods of florida documenting the cultural heritage of the state s diverse populations for the wpas florida writers project. Provided to youtube by nonesuch stetson kennedy billy bragg wilco mermaid avenue. William stetson kennedy october 5, 1916 august 27, 2011 was an american author, folklorist, and human rights activist. In 1937 he left the university of florida to take a job with the governments work projects administration.
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