William S. Summer oral history interview, 2006 August 9

Description

William S. Summer describes his early life growing up in Newberry County, South Carolina and his experiences as a member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Mr. Summer discusses how he became a member of the KKK, including attending his first Klan rally and meeting Robert E. Scoggin. He describes the internal functions of the organization, including the hierarchy of positions, how rallies served as recruitment events, and tensions between different factions within the KKK. Mr. Summer explains how, if given the chance to do things differently, he would be secretive about his membership due to the stigma associated with being a member of the KKK. In Mr. Sumner's opinion, his public participation negatively impacted his ability to serve in many other community organizations such as the local PTA.

In collections

Interviews about Robert E. Scoggin

Details

Title: William S. Summer oral history interview, 2006 August 9
Interviewee: Summer, William S. (William Smith), 1931-2017
Interviewer: Griffin, Ruth Faye
Place of Publication: Charlotte, North Carolina
Publisher: J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Date of Interview: 2006-08-09
Physical Description: 1 audio file (1:02:11) : digital, MP3
Object Type: sound recording-nonmusical
Genre: spoken word
Language: eng
Interviewee Biography: William Smith Summer Sr., was a 74-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place at his house in Joanna, South Carolina. He was born in Newberry County, South Carolina in 1931. He attended two years of college, and was employed in the textile industry.
Abstract: William S. Summer describes his early life growing up in Newberry County, South Carolina and his experiences as a member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Mr. Summer discusses how he became a member of the KKK, including attending his first Klan rally and meeting Robert E. Scoggin. He describes the internal functions of the organization, including the hierarchy of positions, how rallies served as recruitment events, and tensions between different factions within the KKK. Mr. Summer explains how, if given the chance to do things differently, he would be secretive about his membership due to the stigma associated with being a member of the KKK. In Mr. Sumner's opinion, his public participation negatively impacted his ability to serve in many other community organizations such as the local PTA.
Digital Object Notes: MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on minidisc and reformatted using a Digidesign 003 rack.
Interviewee Occupations: Textile workers
Subjects--Names: Summer, William S. (William Smith), 1931-2017
Scoggin, Robert E., 1922-2003
Subjects--Organizations: Ku Klux Klan (1915- )
United Klans of America
Subjects--Topics: White supremacy movements
Hate groups
Political and social views
Community organization
Racism
Race discrimination
Political persecution
Subjects--Geographic: South Carolina--Newberry County
Southern States
Subjects--Genre: Interviews
Oral histories
Coverage--Dates: 1930-2010
Digital Collection Title: Interviews about Robert E. Scoggin
Rights: This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
This material is protected by copyright. Copyright is held by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Internet Media Type: audio/mpeg
Identifier: OH-SU0427
Handle URL: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/uncc:2206

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