OPINION: New KKK findings at trooper former headquarters
By Angela Buckner
JA Contributing Writer
Is there proof that God “damned” Mississippi long ago as suggested by singer Nina Simone? Frankly, it depends on who answers the question at hand. Historically, Black people across the state have been reportedly terrorized for decades by a law enforcement agency that is supposed to protect them.
However, just recently, Ku Klux Klan material stashed in a blue suitcase from the 1960’s era was discovered housed in the Mississippi Department of Public Safety former headquarters. Employees stumbled across Klansmen paraphernalia that included notes/spiral notebook containing meetings and minutes, a ledger book, pamphlets of propaganda, a 1964 Imperial Executive Order, newspaper clippings about the “Mississippi Highway Patrol and DPS, then-DPS Commissioner T.B. Birdsong, materials related to the Freedom Riders, and internal documents. One of the pamphlets in particular from the United Klans of America was labeled “The Ugly Truth about Martin Luther King.”
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History are currently in possession of the findings. Priscilla Till, a civil rights activist and cousin of Emmett Till, has several concerns as it relates to the KKK materials. Till stated, “The discovery of Klan-related materials inside a government facility in Jackson raises urgent and legitimate questions that demand answers. Who placed these items there, how long they remained in that location, and whether any official records connect them to individuals within state agencies must be thoroughly investigated. Given the well-documented historical ties between some government institutions and groups like the Ku Klux Klan, this situation warrants full transparency and careful review.”
Till further elaborated, “It is not something that should be dismissed or quietly set aside; rather, it calls for a deeper, accountable examination to ensure the public understands the full context and any potential institutional connections in Jackson’s government facilities combined with the documented history of groups like the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the broader Ku Klux Klan, makes it reasonable to demand serious scrutiny and transparency. This warrants why the Goon Squads exist in most law enforcement agencies in Mississippi and why Whistleblowers must expose the corruption at every level!”
While there may not seem to be a rush to perform any type of forensic analysis to answer the questions asked by Till, the current commissioner assures the general public that his administration has worked diligently to remain cooperative and transparent in the entire matter. According to MDPS Commissioner Sean Tindell’s interview with WLBT, “Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers and Agents with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have worked for decades with our federal law enforcement partners to shed light on the darkness in which groups like the Ku Klux Klan chose to operate.” He further stated, “By preserving these artifacts and shedding light on such organizations, we help ensure that future generations are never led astray by such hate.”
