Five Black women living in Chattanooga – Viola Ellison, Lela Evans, Opal Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Fannie Mae Crumsey – and a civil liberties attorney from New York City, Randolph McLaughlin, dared to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case to make the KKK accountable for its crimes against the women as well as bring about justice to their community.
Their victory in federal court set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate to this date. The women were waiting for a cab April 19, 1980 when a car load of Klansmen on a sleazy and hideous boys-night-on-the town fired a volley of shotgun blasts at the women, hitting four; a fifth woman was struck by flying glass.
Director John Beder
HOW TO SUE THE KLAN is a riveting tour de force by Director Jon Beder. Because of the meticulous and unflinching way he made the film, the 35-minute short feels as if it has the aesthetic sweep and scope of a feature-length movie resonating with African-American philosophy, history, culture, activism. And lore.
Vice President Kamala Harrison supporters should see this movie as she is gearing up and marshaling forces to deal with the existential threats that continue to menace an African America formidable and that will not be deterred. This reviewer invokes the name of Vice President Kamala Harrison because so much in HOW TO SUE THE KLAN reflects the racist acrimony going on in America today primarily but not exclusively because of Donald Trump and MAGA Maggots who support him.
Attorney McLaughlin’s use of the KKK Act set a nationwide legal precedent that allowed more racial violence cases to be tried in civil courts with the same statute, chipping away at the Klan’s power and funding over time. They were sued all over the nation, and the financial losses and its diminished influence forced Klan outfits out of more cities.
Today, the precedent set by the Chattanooga Five is still used to fight hate in a time when racial violence is surging. Violence by White nationalists and Neo-Nazis is increasing.
There is much more going on in Director Beder’s movie that this reviewer knows would be spoilers if they were discussed or revealed. Despite the litigious triumph, potential audiences should know that there are bittersweet and heart rendering anecdotes and vignettes throughout the film just as there are bittersweet and heart rendering episodes throughout the racial history of the country.
This reviewer hopes there comes a time when litigious “chipping away” at Klan-ism (and Trump-ism, MAGA-ism, Neo-nazi-ism and White nationalism and the rest) escalates to smashing, destroying and rending. I kid you not.
Go see this movie!
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Publisher, Editor Gregg W. Morris
Can be reached at gregghc@comcast.net, profgreggwmorris@gmail.com