I never met Jeffrey Berry, the Imperial Wizard of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, but I learned a lot about him through newspaper clippings, internet research and even a documentary on the History channel. This second blog is presenting background information about one of the largest Klans in Indiana during the 1990s.
He was one of the robed Klansmen that I saw when I turned on the Jerry Springer show in 1996. During their television appearance they flashed the number of the Klan, 219-337-KKK, on the screen and over 6,200 calls for literature about the KKK flooded the phone lines. Can you imagine? I couldn’t believe when I read the figure, it says something about the viewers (other than myself, I was just flipping through the channels) who watch those shows. But Berry? He was very pleased with the response from the show; after all, he viewed their appearance on the Springer show as a regular “cash cow” with 6,200 inquiries and a $10 application fee for each member who joined.
For him, the Klan was a family affair with his wife Edna at his side and his two children, Anthony and Tonya. They shared their beliefs in Indiana with audiences in Portage, Gary, Middlebury, Crown Point and South Bend.
With a communications background, I believe that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. It is one of the freedoms granted to us by the constitution and I think it is one of the great ones that helps define our American heritage. However, I hate the message that the Klan conveys, and I don’t believe that their right to freedom of expression should come at a cost to the rest of the public. This is one of the areas upon which I disagree greatly with the Klan.
I found a newspaper article stating that when the American Knights of the KKK participated in 15 rallies in Indiana during 1998, it cost the state $640,000.00 to provide security. Keep in mind that only covers a small number of rallies in one year, while this particular Klan was active in rallies for almost 10 years.
While reading about the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, I found a book about Brad Thompson. He is what I envision to be the stereotype of a Klan member. He lived in a trailer in a small town in Indiana with his kids and girlfriend. A factory worker, Brad was discouraged with the direction his life was going. Economically depressed, he felt that every day was filled with a lack of attention and that he didn’t have anything special to offer others.
A history buff, he saw an advertisement in the local newspaper that the Klan was going to rally less than an hour from his house. His curiosity got the best of him when he decided that he needed a little adventure, and he set out to attend the American Knights of the KKK rally and cross burning.
He had become so obsessed with Klan activities and even became the Grand Dragon within a short period of time, which is like being second in command of the Klan. He said, “I remember the day I was elected Indiana Grand Dragon. I was so happy driving home, whooping and hollering, shooting my gun out the window. I walked into the trailer and told Brenda (his girlfriend) that I was really somebody now.”
I can imagine that this is how many members of the Klan get started, seeking acceptance and attention from others. The Klan reminds me of almost any cult or gang, with potential members being seduced by those around them, a feeling of hope and passion for new beliefs.
Berry and Thompson parted ways a year or two later and Berry made decisions that landed him in prison. When a television news crew interviewed Berry about his Klan involvement, he asked them if they were planning on interviewing Thompson. When they said they did, he became irate and locked them in a room in his home. Several of his Knighthawks, or security guards, kept the reporters hostage with guns drawn. After several hours, and the promise to destroy the tapes, the two reporters were released. Following the ordeal, Berry was arrested on 10 felony charges and imprisoned for almost three years.
Klan members say they don’t use violence for others to listen to their message, but this instance as well as many others, make me feel otherwise.
Several years later, Berry was at a party hosted by his son, when an argument took place, and Berry’s son Anthony and his friend, Fred Wilson, threw a chair and critically injured him. After the younger Berry punched his father in the head repeatedly, Jeff was rushed to the hospital where he was declared legally blind with additional head injuries.
Why is this important? It’s important because Berry was a leader of the largest Klan in Indiana during his reigning days as the Imperial Wizard of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. While his Klan has decreased in numbers over the years, and a new leader has taken the reigns, the Klan is still active in Indiana. No one knows how many people are members of this secret society and no one really knows how many firearms and ammunition they have stockpiled. This sense of secrecy empowers the Klan and leaves law enforcement guessing at how much potential damage they can do.
Klan members wear their hoods for a reason, so they don’t put their families and their jobs at risk. Klan members can be anywhere around you and you need to be prepared for what their messages are so that you won’t be caught off guard when or if they try and persuade you to join in their beliefs. After all, remember the ancient saying, “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”
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