On April 11, 1865, two days after Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, the Civil War, America’s bloodiest, is officially over. President Lincoln calls for a Reconstruction of the country –America’s first terrorist organization, the Ku Klux Klan was formed.
When I first began photographing members of the Klan 11-years ago, the question I was most interested in answering was why they believed what they believed. The problem with this, is that people often do not truly understand the reality of why they believe what they believe.
It is always because of something else.
Something deeper.
Something behind it all.
One night, after hours of interviewing, I stopped asking questions of David, a young member. He later explained that two black men murdered his mother in 1992. He was only twelve. His voice was hard when he told me this, but not angry. It seemed David had a reason to turn to something so dark, yet it was a reason he could not vocalize.
Earlier that same night, while explaining to me how the Klan justifies what they believe, David quoted John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
I told him about a close friend of mine, who was Catholic, and an African-American man. I wanted to know if he would be permitted eternal life based on that scripture, because he was black. David paused and said he had never thought about it that way before. Based on the scripture, he thought my friend would have eternal life.
Months later, I received an email from David. He said, “Based on the interviews, I think the Klan has it wrong, I’ve decided to leave.”
Christopher Capozziello (born 1980) is a freelance photographer and a founding member
of AEVUM. His work focuses on documenting both life around him, and stories that are outside his own experiences. He believes that photography can take unpleasant realities and make them beautiful, not by misleading anyone, but by allowing the viewer to stop and take a deeper look at the subject.
Christopher currently lives in Hamden, Connecticut, where he accepts assignments and works on long-term personal projects.
