Provocation The Forms of the Ku Klux Klan’s Racist Action towards the Black People and TheirDefenders

The white hood, for decades a symbol of hatred and violence in the South, was back. The Klansmen use Carl Lee’s trial as a provocation in order to gain supports, to finally give pressure back to the Blacks. Grisham pictures the horrified moment of a provocation done by the Klan below. All the laws favor the niggers, and the liberal nigger-loving politicians keep making more laws against white people. Somebodys got to stand up for them. Thats why he called the Klan. With the trial several months away, there was time to plan a rebellion. They could march during the day around the courthouse in their white robes and pointed, hooded masks. Grisham, 1989: 73 The Klans really understand how to provoke the situation so that violence will rise. That the expected result is the clash between the Blacks and the Whites. Furthermore, Ku Klux Klan is a highly organized group. The group existed not only in a particular area, but also in other states of the nation. It means all of the group in the states are connected to each other. Giving the situation like that, a Klan group based on a state can ask help from other groupson different states. For the Klans, wearing white robes during a marching in the city is viewed as a pride. Grisham 1989: 74 told the situation in the novel below. They knew how to provoke it. They fully appreciated what the sight of marching white robes did to crowds of angry niggers. The Ku Klux Klan’s provocations are done in many ways, to the Blacks and their defenders. In Grisham’s A Time to Kill 1989: 181, a Klan man ‘speaks’ in front of the public. The speech is mentioned below. My names Stump Sisson, he said as he removed his mask. And Im proud to say Im the Mississippi Imperial Wizard for the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux Klan. Im here to say that the law-abidin white folks of Mississippi are sick and tired of niggers stealin, rapin, killin, and gettin by with it. We demand justice, and we demand that this Hailey nigger be convicted and his black ass sent to the gas chamber The Klans do have a subtle way just to provoke the situation. Klansmen always have a person, commonly their leader, as the representative to speak in front of the public. With this representative, the Klans voice their hatred to the Blacks in public.Their White Supremacy’s way shapes their racist attitude. They are not afraid of the constitutions that protect other people from different races. This is to show that the Klan tries to shape an image as if they were fighting for the white pride, and that the existence of the Blacks in the society is merely annoyance and disgrace. The Klansmen like to provoke the Blacks directly when they meet up in a march. This provocation is merely a verbal abuse to them. As mentioned before, this is aimed to get the Blacks’ attention, so that the situation will look as if the Blacks started the fire first. This is reflected quotation found in Grisham’s A Time to Kill 1989: 181 You niggers were not invited to this rally Stump screamed into the microphone, pointing at the blacks. This is a Klan meetin, not a meetin for a buncha niggers The Klans also do the provocations to the Blacks’s defender. One of their provocation is aimed to the Blacks’ defender who is the lawyer, not only to the lawyer, but also to his colleagues. Jack Brigance, the lawyer, always received some provocations in his office by mails or telephone calls in the night regarding his choice to defend a black man in a trial. This is viewed in Grisham’s quotation 1989: 74 below. You heard me. Calls himself Mickey Mouse. He called me at home Sunday and told me that he saved your life. That niggers lawyer is what he called you. Said the Klan has officially arrived in Ford County. Theyve set up a klavern, whatever that is. The Klans create a label to the Blacks’ defender. They call them as nigger- lovers. This label is a strong proof to the attitude of the Blacks, pure hatred towards the Blacks. Even to the white race, the Klansmen are still cruel. Thus, by marching towards the city, the Klansmen try to show their existence. This action is aimed to catch the Blacks’ attention, so whenever the Blacks are provoked, they would take a reaction. The Klansmen think this reaction as the Blacks’ fightback. They believe Blacks actually do not deserve to fightback, so the Klans will counter this fightback with chaos.

B. How Racism Shown in the Southern American Society

Based on Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, the researcher concludes that the Whites use some kinds of weapon in the form of language and discrimination to conquer the Blacks. To identify the how racism in the story, both of Fanon’s concept are occupied to gain the data. According to the researcher, Fanon’s first idea is the use of language, and the second is the discrimination towards blacks.

1. The Use of Language

The use of language is critical for the Whites to hold power. The Whites, as the colonizers, have created a kind of arsenal prior to control how Blacks should talk both in their own language and the language of the colonizers. Regarding this, Blacks always deal with problems because speaking the language of the colonizer, as it is the language of the holder of power. Furthermore, by creating that standard, the colonizers want to make the Blacks remain uneducated. The use of courtesy titles resembles a situation where an adult treats a child. Whites are the adult and Blacks are the child Fanon, 2008: 19. The adult can do everything, while the child can do nothing. However, this condition is worsened by the emergence of some derogatory items which is considered as the worst racial phenomena.

a. The Use of Derogatory Terms

Whites use some addressing terms used in conversation to Blacks in the American South. A normal word to address the Blacks is “boy”. Also, Whites create some particular termswhich are considered as cruel, such as “negro”, and extremely derogatory such as “nigger” or “negress”. The use of the words can be seen as depicted in part of John Grisham’s A Time to Kil 1989: 1 below. Willard said, It wasnt my idea. Youre the one whos good at killing niggers. You do it. He thought for a minute while he finished a beer. Lets throw her off a bridge. The use of ‘nigger’ is applied to all of the Blacks, no matter they are men or women, child or adult. In the Old South, the word “nigger” is coined by Whites to remind Blacks that they are slaves. This word is considered as offensive. Blacks feel it gives them the memory of slavery and violation just like in the past. Another example to show the use of the word “nigger” in the South is reflected in Grisham’s work 1989: 3 below. Ozzie walked to the table and grinned at Cobb. Im sorry, sir, but we dont allow niggers in here, Cobb blurted out, and the four burst into laughter. Ozzie kept grinning.