James H. Madison. Photo by Matthew Levandowski
by CRAIG COLEY
The Ku Klux Klan’s iconic white hoods and burning crosses have become symbols of white supremacy, but the Klan’s place in the American consciousness outstrips most people’s understanding. In a new book, Bloomington historian James H. Madison dispels misconceptions about an organization whose membership for a time included one-third of Indiana’s native-born white men. To Madison, a retired professor of history at Indiana University, the story of the Klan is highly relevant today. “Klan-type thinking and Klan-type ideals are still with us,” Madison says. “Maybe even more so.”