Racism in the 1920's

Quote:

"Though men and women drop from the ranks they remain with us in purpose, and can be depended on fully in any crisis. Also, there are millions who have never joined, but who think and feel and -- when called on -- fight with us. This is our real strength, and no one who ignores it can hope to understand America today." Hiram Wesley Evans, The Klan's Fight for Americanism, The North American Review (March-April-May 1926)

Interpretation:
Even if members withdraw from the Ku Klux Klan, they remain tied to it through their perception of racial issues.  They continue to believe and live by the ideas behind white supremacy, essentially continuing their membership in the Klan without the label.  Countless civilians who have never officially joined the Klan but possess the same ideals previously discussed also indirectly contribute to the success of the Klan.  This reality is the very thing which strengthens the Klan and its causes.  It is an incredible American feat.

D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation helped increase the population of the Ku Klux Klan by relating historical acts of racism to Americanism.  It made racist ideals seem fundamental to the advancement of the American nation.  Without such ideals, our glorious nation would have never even come to be, convincing numerous American citizens to join the fight for the betterment of their country.