The duality of spectacle and secrecy: a case study of fraternalism in the 1920s US Ku Klux Klan

Abstract

Abstract White supremacist groups operate as secret societies but want to extend their racist vision to the public. This article examines the duality of secrecy and publicity in such organizations through a case study of the massive Ku Klux Klan in the United States in the 1920s. We show how characteristics of fraternalism – exclusivity, secrecy and firm boundaries – conflicted with the Klan's agenda to spread a message of racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Catholicism to society at large. We draw on recent literature on cultural scenes, performance, and audience to explain how the Klan used layers of supportive practices to both secure fraternal brotherhood and shape racial politics beyond its boundaries.