Why I Quit the Klan
Section 1
“Why I Quit the Klan” is a non-fiction story written by Studs Terkel, which talks about former Ku Klux Klan leader, C.P. Ellis. Ellis was invited, as a Klansman, to join a committee on how to solve racial problems in the school system. This committee included people of all different ethical backgrounds, including African Americans. He reluctantly accepted, however after a few short meetings, he was elected co-chair of the committee, along side of Ann Atwater, an African American woman who had been leading local efforts for civil rights for years. This article shows the internal struggles and hardships that C.P. Ellis went through on his journey to become accepted.
C.P. Ellis had struggled to work all his life, however he could never make ends meet. This caused him to become a bitter person, and he looked for someone to blame. He could not hate America, so he chose to hate what had been natural for him, black people. His father had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan, so he had been raised to detest any race that was different to his. Ellis began to admire the Klan. He longed to be a part of something and to be accepted. Ellis found this when he went to his first Klan 's meeting. When Ellis took an oath, there was a loud applause through out the building. This was a thrilling moment for Ellis, it was the first time he felt accepted.
As a Klan member, Ellis went to city council meetings, where he, along other Klan members, would start confrontation with the African American people who were there. Council men would call Ellis and his Klansmen, in hopes of stopping integration. Ellis had become close friends with the council men, however it was not until they had ignored Ellis in public, when he realized that he was being used to stop integration and that the councilmen were not his real friends. For the next six months Ellis believed he had to leave the Klan, however that was not an option.
Ellis was invited, as a Klansman, to join a committee to make
“Why I Quit the Klan” is a non-fiction story written by Studs Terkel, which talks about former Ku Klux Klan leader, C.P. Ellis. Ellis was invited, as a Klansman, to join a committee on how to solve racial problems in the school system. This committee included people of all different ethical backgrounds, including African Americans. He reluctantly accepted, however after a few short meetings, he was elected co-chair of the committee, along side of Ann Atwater, an African American woman who had been leading local efforts for civil rights for years. This article shows the internal struggles and hardships that C.P. Ellis went through on his journey to become accepted.
C.P. Ellis had struggled to work all his life, however he could never make ends meet. This caused him to become a bitter person, and he looked for someone to blame. He could not hate America, so he chose to hate what had been natural for him, black people. His father had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan, so he had been raised to detest any race that was different to his. Ellis began to admire the Klan. He longed to be a part of something and to be accepted. Ellis found this when he went to his first Klan 's meeting. When Ellis took an oath, there was a loud applause through out the building. This was a thrilling moment for Ellis, it was the first time he felt accepted.
As a Klan member, Ellis went to city council meetings, where he, along other Klan members, would start confrontation with the African American people who were there. Council men would call Ellis and his Klansmen, in hopes of stopping integration. Ellis had become close friends with the council men, however it was not until they had ignored Ellis in public, when he realized that he was being used to stop integration and that the councilmen were not his real friends. For the next six months Ellis believed he had to leave the Klan, however that was not an option.
Ellis was invited, as a Klansman, to join a committee to make
Cited: Ellis, C.P. “Why I Quit the Klan.” Patterns Across Cultures. Compiled and edited by Steward and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 457. Print.