KU KLUX KLAN

The Ku Klux Klan, an organization that started as a men’s social club more than 144 years ago in Pulaski, Tenn., has found footing in the Cedar Valley.

In a November interview with KGAN TV’s Chris Jose, Brother Douglas, Imperial Wizard of the Fraternal White Knights of the KKK, said the FWKs have almost 100 members in Iowa.

In an e-mail interview with the Northern Iowan, Douglas said the FWKs now have Klaverns (a group of seven or more members) in at least 11 Iowa towns including Cedar Falls and Waterloo.

The FWK state headquarters are located in Charles City.

At the age of 18, Douglas joined the Klan as a Ghoul, the lowest ranking member in Klan hierarchy, and has since moved his way up to the position of Imperial Wizard, the highest active ranking member in the Klan.

Originally known as the Florida White Knights, the FWKs first came into existence in 1983. Douglas said his Klan’s roots can be linked to the first era of the KKK, which lasted from 1865 through the 1870s.

Douglas organized the first local FWK chapter after moving to northeast Iowa in 2003.

He said the FWKs are not a violent, lawless organization like many might believe.

“We are a legal, law-abiding organization in which no member of our Klan has ever even been accused of a racial crime,” he said.

The Klan, which Douglas has referred to as the “Invisible Empire,” is a largely a secret organization working “in the shadows.”

“We work toward the day when we are able to influence elections as a means to further our goals,” Douglas said. “We are actively running members for local government in many towns and cities across the nation.”

According to Douglas, the Klan works in a number of ways to achieve its goals. He said that a couple of Klan members had infiltrated the Postville Agriprocessors plant and helped expose illegal immigrants working there. However, he did not give names of the members involved. In May 2008, federal authorities raided the plant, arresting more than 380 illegal immigrants in the process.

The FWKs have also marched to voice their opinions. In 2006, they marched on the governor’s mansion in Des Moines to protest gay marriage.

“We don’t believe (homosexuals) have the right to marry,” Douglas said in an interview with the Associated Press before the march. “In fact, we don’t think they have the right to exist.”

In standing up for his beliefs, Douglas, a husband and father of four, said he has been attacked, shot at and had bricks thrown at his windows. He said he has also received death threats toward himself and his family.

“(The FWKs are) a small, family-oriented Klan,” Douglas said.

He added that when one member of a family joins the FWKs, the rest usually join as well, including children.

“We are a true Klan, meaning we do not associate with Nazis,” Douglas said. “We despise them for what they have done to our reputation when they have been active with other Klans that allowed them in.

“Our central beliefs are that the USA is a white nation created for us,” he added.

A statement from the FWK Web site reads, “We don’t hate people just because of the color of their skin, but for, let us say, the ‘content of their character,’” an obvious reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech.

“We thought (King Jr.’s speech reference) a good idea to use an adversary’s words against him,” Douglas said. “Basically, we are saying it is an extreme sort of ignorance to judge someone solely on the color of their skin.  But that doesn’t mean we want to live next door to him.”

Though Douglas only associates with members of the Klan, he said he isn’t hostile when dealing with non-white members of his community.

“I give respect and if none is shown back, then none is further coming,” Douglas said. “Basically, if respect is shown all around, no problem.”

Local civil and human rights organizations had little to say regarding the FWKs, citing that Klan activity hasn’t been a problem in recent years.

“We’ve not had a lot of dealings with (the FWKs), so we don’t have a lot of information on them,” said Colleen Sole, liaison for the Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission.

Douglas also denied any involvement with the recent vandalisms and assault on the University of Northern Iowa campus and in the surrounding area.

“None of our members are going to do us a bit of good if they are sitting in jail, especially for stupid s---,” he said.

Douglas added that most acts of vandalism associated with the KKK are done by “wannabes.”

UNI Director of Public Safety David Zarifis said the graffiti on and around campus was most likely done by juveniles, noting that the “taggings” do not appear to be the work of an organized hate group. However, he could not say for sure who is responsible for the graffiti.

Zarifis added the number of hate crimes and vandalisms have seen a rise in and around Black Hawk County in the last few years. He said that when an incident of discrimination happens on campus, Public Safety works quickly to resolve the incident while trying to criminally charge the perpetrators.

“People do need to be held accountable for their actions, their activities and what they say and how they say it,” Zarifis said. “There is no room in our society for people who just are not civil toward other people.”

Randall Wilson, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the ACLU doesn’t “particularly like the KKK,” but added that they stand behind their right to free speech.

“There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech,” Zarifis said. “It’s become an issue that is debated and contested. We’re in the environment (at UNI) where we tell people to question, to express yourself, but not to the point where it becomes the type of activity that demeans, that derogates, that basically places people in fear and threatens people.”

Douglas said that the ACLU has no choice when it comes to who it represents. The FWKs in other states have used the ACLU – despite the organization defending the rights of blacks, homosexuals, atheists, etc. – because the FWKs are willing to use whatever resources are available to them in order to protect their right to free speech.

“Racism never goes away,” said Cierra French, a student at UNI. “It’s something that you’re always going to have to deal with. People think that maybe there isn’t racism anymore. In reality, it’s within everything, it’s everywhere. It’s just that some people are blindsided to it.

“I don’t think people really understand what it is they’re doing wrong or maybe don’t even have enough education or knowledge or background behind it to be able to want to change or how they could,” French added. “I think it could get better in the future, but I don’t think (racism) will ever be completely eliminated from our society.”

“I hope the KKK doesn’t become any more present in Iowa than they already are,” Wilson said. “I don’t really hear of much (Klan) activity up here and that’s the way we like it.”

“We have some things we are working on now – some near completion, some still in the infiltration stages, so stay tuned!” Douglas said.