Semester Award Granted
Spring 2025
Submission Date
May 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Evan Bennett
Abstract
In the shadow of the KKK stood an unexpected force: women. At the crossroads of religious fundamentalism and racial extremism was Alma Bridwell White, a pioneering yet controversial figure whose religious leadership intertwined with her avid support for the Klan. This research examines how White used both pulpit and platform to advance the Klan’s image of ‘Americanism’ defined by racial purity and religious intolerance, and promote early feminist ideals, whilst still being reliant on male figures. This research enables an exploration of how female members of the KKK were able to leverage their social, political and religious influence to promote a vision of “true Americanness” that was intertwined with racial and religious exclusion. This research diverts from the southern, male perspective of the Klan and gives attention to charismatic female religious leaders, revealing how women were not passive supporters but key architects of the Klan's goal in the 1920s.
Recommended Citation
Hall, Ellis, "A LEGACY OF FIRE: ALMA BRIDWELL WHITE, THE SECOND WAVE KLAN AND COMPLEXITIES OF RELIGION, RACE AND FEMINISM" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 65.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/65