Craig Fox

Craig Fox is an award-winning independent scholar of American history and culture. He is a contributor to the PBS program The History Detectives, and has published an article on activist ...

Everyday Klansfolk
White Protestant Life and the KKK in 1920s Michigan

Craig Fox

Winner: 2012 Michigan Notable Book Award
Winner: 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year: Bronze
Winner: 2011 Michigan Historical Society Award
Finalist: 2012 Midwest Book Award

Craig Fox consulted on the “Fiery Cross” segment on History Detectives, on PBS on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 8PM EST / 7PM CT [Season 10, Episode 2]: Tukufu Zuberi tracks down the story behind an old 78rpm, distributed by K.K.K. Records, containing songs titled "The Bright Fiery Cross" and "The Jolly Old Klansman".

In 1920s Middle America, the Ku Klux Klan gained popularity not by appealing to the fanatical fringes of society, but by attracting the interest of "average" citizens. During this period, the Klan recruited members through the same unexceptional channels as any other organization or club, becoming for many a respectable public presence, a vehicle for civic activism, or the source of varied social interaction. Its diverse membership included men and women of all ages, occupations, and socio-economic standings. Although surviving membership records of this clandestine organization have proved incredibly rare, Everyday Klansfolk uses newly available documents to reconstruct the life and social context of a single grassroots unit in Newaygo County, Michigan. A fascinating glimpse behind the mask of America's most notorious secret order, this absorbing study sheds light on KKK activity and membership in Newaygo County, and in Michigan at large, during the brief and remarkable peak years of its mass popular appeal.

350 pp., 6.00" x 9.00", March 2011 Paper, $29.95, 0-87013-995-9 978-0-87013-995-6

Paperback Edition: B&W photos, notes, references, index • world rights 350 pp., 6 " x 9 ", March 2011 paper, $29.95 0-87013-995-9 978-0-87013-995-6