环球英语 — 40：Stetson Kennedy: Fighting Against Bigot

　　Voice 1

Thank you for joining us for Spotlight 1. I’m Rebekah Schipper.

Voice 2

And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Today’s Spotlight is on a man named Stetson Kennedy. During his life he worked for human rights. He did most of his work in the southern United States. He helped to slow the growth of a U.S. racist 2 group called the Ku Klux Klan.

Voice 2

In the early eighteen hundreds [1800’s], many white people in the southern United States had black slaves. This was a terrible time in America’s history. Slavery officially ended in the eighteen sixties [1860’s]. But for many years, black people still had very limited rights, even until the nineteen sixties [1960’s]. And they often experienced violent attacks from hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan was a group of white men who terrorized black people. Often, the Klan beat or killed them for little or no reason. And often, this violence against black people was not punished.

Voice 1

Stetson Kennedy was born in 1916 in Florida, in the United States. He was a white man. As a child, one particular incident had a big influence on Stetson. When Stetson was young, a black woman named Flo worked for his family. One day, she had a dispute with a public transportation driver. She paid for the service. But he did not give her the right amount of money back. Soon after the incident, a few members of the Klan attacked Flo. They beat and raped 3 her. She had been like a mother to Stetson.

Voice 2

In the nineteen forties [1940’s], Stetson was a young man. And America was involved in World War Two. Many young men went to fight in the war. Stetson could not go - his back was weak. But he decided 4 that he still wanted to defend his country. Instead of going to war, he decided to defend his country at home. He thought that the United States’ most dangerous enemy was bigotry 5. Bigotry is the opposite of tolerance 6 and acceptance. A bigot does not accept other people’s ideas. And he may have harmful ideas about different groups of people. As a young man, Stetson wrote books and other documents against bigotry.

Voice 1

Stetson worked continuously for his beliefs. As a man, he still remembered Flo. He remembered what the Klan had done to her. He believed that they demonstrated bigotry more than any other group. The public was too frightened of them to stop them. And anti-hate groups had problems fighting the Klan effectively. People must have knowledge to fight hate. But, no one knew any real facts about the Klan.

Voice 2

So, Stetson decided to fix that problem. He joined a Klan group in Atlanta, in the United States. But he used a false name. Stetson attended Klan gatherings 8 every week. He began to understand the rules and traditions the Klan followed. He learned the special movements they made. He learned their secret passwords. A Klan member could find another Klan member by saying the secret password.

Voice 1

Many of the things Stetson learned seemed silly or foolish. They seemed like games for children. After every gathering 7 Stetson hurried home. Then he wrote down everything he could remember from the night’s meeting.

Voice 2

Stetson gave this information to honest authorities in the area. But, his letters had little effect. After a time, Stetson had an excellent idea. One day he observed a few children playing. They played like they were spies doing secret work. They even exchanged play secret passwords. Their play made him think of the Klan. And he formed a plan.

Voice 1

Stetson’s plan was to give the secret Klan passwords and secrets to children for play! If children knew the secret words the Klan would lose its power. They would look foolish. And their secrets would be in the open!

Voice 2

Stetson began to communicate with producers of the popular children’s radio program ‘The Adventures of Superman.’ Every night millions of listeners heard this program. Superman was an imaginary superhero with special powers. He fought against and defeated many evil enemies - including some from the real world. The producers were happy to have a new enemy for Superman to fight.

Voice 1

Stetson gave the producers all of the Klan secrets he knew. He told them the details of the group’s structure. He told them secret passwords the Klan used. And the producers wrote four [4] programs with this information. Soon, children began to use the secret Klan words in play. They copied the special clothes all Klan members wore.

Voice 2

At the next Klan meeting, Klan members were very angry. The radio program made the Klan look like fools. They changed their secret passwords. But Stetson just passed the new secret passwords on to the producers. And they used them in the next radio program. Soon interest in the Klan decreased. No one wanted to join the group.

Voice 1

In 1954, Stetson published a book about his experiences with the Klan. Recently, some people have questioned the book. They say that Stetson may have exaggerated some events - he made the truth seem even better. Stetson admits that he did add some details to his experiences. He says the details made the book more exciting for people to read. But he firmly claims that all the main details are true. He did join the Klan group under a false name. He did work for human rights.

Voice 2

Stetson did what he set out to do. He used his book to show the world that the Klan was dangerous. He made the Klan seem foolish. Many people respect him for what he did. They say he is a hero.

Voice 1

The Klan still exists today in America. But, it is much smaller, and less powerful. Many experts say that Stetson Kennedy’s actions helped to decrease Klan activity. Stetson recognized that information was power. In the past, no one knew anything about the Klan. But, once people knew about the Klan, they did not fear it as much. Stetson’s actions took away the Klan’s power.

Voice 2

Stetson did not have to lead a protest. He did not have to show great courage. The only thing he had to do was help spread information.

Voice 1

Tolerance.org is a website in the United States. They work to stop hate and bigotry. They say:

Voice 3

“Our experience shows that one person, acting 9 from conscience and love, is able to neutralize 10 bigotry. Imagine, then, what a whole community, working together, could do.”

Voice 2

Whatever you do, never stop fighting hate and bigotry. You can make a difference.