What would it take for an elite leader of the Ku Klux Klan to tear up his membership card? Claiborne Ellis was born into a poor white family in Durham, North Carolina, in 1927. Finding it hard to make ends meet working in a garage and believing African Americans were the cause of all his troubles, he followed his father’s footsteps and joined the Ku Klux Klan, eventually rising to the top position of Exalted Cyclops of his local KKK branch. Exploding Prejudices In 1971 Claiborne was invited to a 10-day community meeting to tackle racial tensions in schools, and was chosen to head a steering committee with Ann Atwater, a black activist he despised. But working with her exploded…
Bob JonesAugust 22, 2018