Research Mentor(s)
Schwartz-DuPre, Rae Lynn
Description
During December of 1865, a string of violence was unleashed as the United States witnessed the birth of its most infamous hate group, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In the decades following its conception, the influence of the KKK has waxed and waned, but membership has always been a family affair. A photograph that exemplifies this phenomenon is one of a young boy identified as Josh, which was captured at a KKK rally in Gainesville, Georgia over Labor Day weekend in 1992. I argue that the photograph of The Little Klansman serves as an example of metonymy because it represents the historical and intense racial struggle within the United States that can be better understood when analyzed through the lens of Michel Foucault’s theory of surveillance. More specifically, Josh himself is an infantile citizen who is unknowingly endowed with the advocacy to expose the racial failures of our nation. The Little Klansman is a key example of how a child can shape the public’s interpretation of events and prominently represent the ever-present racial struggle within the United States.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
17-5-2018 9:00 AM
End Date
17-5-2018 12:00 PM
Department
Communication Studies
Genre/Form
student projects, posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Racism--United States--History
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Ku Klux Klan (1915- )
Geographic Coverage
United States--Race relations--History
Type
Image
Keywords
Ku Klux Klan, Infantile citizenship, theory of surveillance, metonymy
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
The Little Klansman: A Symbol of American Infantilism Amidst Racial Tensions
During December of 1865, a string of violence was unleashed as the United States witnessed the birth of its most infamous hate group, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In the decades following its conception, the influence of the KKK has waxed and waned, but membership has always been a family affair. A photograph that exemplifies this phenomenon is one of a young boy identified as Josh, which was captured at a KKK rally in Gainesville, Georgia over Labor Day weekend in 1992. I argue that the photograph of The Little Klansman serves as an example of metonymy because it represents the historical and intense racial struggle within the United States that can be better understood when analyzed through the lens of Michel Foucault’s theory of surveillance. More specifically, Josh himself is an infantile citizen who is unknowingly endowed with the advocacy to expose the racial failures of our nation. The Little Klansman is a key example of how a child can shape the public’s interpretation of events and prominently represent the ever-present racial struggle within the United States.
Comments
Outstanding Poster Award Recipient