Talk On KKK Will Mark MLK Day at Queens Center

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS -- One Queens center will ring in Martin Luther King Day by channeling the spirit of Dr. King himself, hosting everything from a volunteer day to a talk on the Klu Klux Klan in honor of the civil rights leader.

On Monday, the Cultural Arts and Jewish Heritage Programs Department of the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills will host a talk addressing parallels between the KKK at the peak of its power in the 1920s and the extremist group's alarming resurgence in today's political environment.

"Over the last two years, the U.S. has seen an alarming resurgence in extremist groups long considered to be very marginal, groups promoting anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and anti-Semitism," the center wrote in a statement. "Many observers see disturbing parallels between the current incarnation of hate groups and the period of the 1920s, the peak of the Ku Klux Klan."

But the talk will come with an inspirational message, with author Patricia Bernstein slated to speak on her new book, "Ten Dollars to Hate," which tells the story of the first prosecutor in the country to successfully defeat the Klan at the height of its power in the 1920s.

"Today, most Americans are not aware of the power of the 1920s Klan, a mass movement with millions of members all over the U.S., not in the south alone," the Central Queens Y wrote. "Several states elected Klan-sponsored governors and U.S. senators."

While a few public officials attempted to prosecute Klansmen for their crimes, including the two infamous torture-murders in Louisiana and Klan assaults in California and Texas, none were successful. But the tide turned in 1923, when a 29-year-old lawyer won prison time for five Klansmen in Georgetown, Texas.

Bernstein, a Texas-based author, is best known for her book, "The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jesse Washington and the Rise of the NAACP. She will host the talk at the Central Queens Y, located at 67-09 108 St. starting at 1:30 p.m. The event is open to the public, but an $8 donation is requested.

For those inspired to give back on MLK Day, the Central Queens Y will also partner with the UJA Federation of New York to host a series of volunteer projects lasting throughout the day.

The center will offer volunteer opportunities from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., including: a blood drive, painting a community mural, serving free lunch to seniors, making care packages for seniors and domestic violence survivors, working Kids Day at Queens Public School 21, and a gardening activity for kids.

Visit the UJA website to sign up for the volunteer activity of your choice, or call 718-268-5011 to donate blood at the Central Queens Y Winter Blood Drive.

Lead photo by J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press.

Caption: The bust of civil rights activist and leader Martin Luther King Jr. is draped with a wreath of flowers to commemorate his birthday, which is observed as a federal holiday on Monday.