Ku Klux Klan Night Hawk hood and mask used by Stetson Kennedy
date: label: Date
content: 1970-2011
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Used by
content: Stetson Kennedy, American, 1916 - 2011
label: Signed by
content: Ku Klux Klan, 2nd, American, 1915 - 1944
notes: label: Description
content: A Ku Klux Klan (KKK) (a) hood with attached mask and a (b) hood liner, belonging to 2011.144.2.1ab, a robe, worn by the Night Hawk rank officers, whose main role is to act as security at "klonvocations." The hood, mask, and liner are part of a set of Night Hawk’s regalia worn by writer and human rights activist Stetson Kennedy, who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s, exposing its secrets to authorities and the outside world. The hood is conical-shaped with a back flap with squared corners. It has been made from the same plain, navy blue cotton fabric as the robe (2011.144.2.1ab) and has a burgundy colored, rayon tassel attached at the point of the hood. Four (4) centimeter wide, round eyeholes have been cut out of the front of the mask.
label: Description
content: The hood liner (b) is made from stiff white, canvas with a drawstring at the crown.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting symbols of hate or related to organized hate groups may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate history and culture.
place: label: Place used
content: Florida, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Associations and institutions
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fraternal organizations
label: Topic
content: Men
label: Topic
content: Social reform
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1933-1945
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1945-1953
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1953-1961
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1961-1969
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1969-2001
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 2001-
label: Topic
content: White supremacy movements
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sandra A. Parks, wife of Stetson Kennedy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.144.2.2ab
objectType: label: Type
content: hoods (headgear)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton and rayon
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (hood): 28 1/4 × 13 in. (71.8 × 33 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (hood liner): 14 3/4 × 11 1/2 in. (37.5 × 29.2 cm)