CULTURE FILES // PROCESS: PATIENCE, TRUST, AND OPENNESS
Riding the Third Rail
A decades-long journey documenting white supremacy
words and images by Anthony Karen
EXCERPT //
I started reaching out to Klan groups in mid-2004, however, it wasn’t until 2005 that I was invited to my first cross-lighting ceremony. The Ku Klux Klan had been photographed many times throughout its history, but I was having difficulty finding images that explored beyond the obvious clichés—the robes, cross-lightings, and the public demonstrations. As an aspiring documentary photographer, I was looking for an edgy project. It intrigued me to meet the challenge of capturing photos without relying on the typical sensationalist overtones. I find the intimate aspects of people’s lives the most fascinating element of who they are, so I chose to focus on the human element within these ideologies.
One of the most critical responsibilities of a photojournalist is producing an accurate portrayal of the events and people they observe. The challenge with documenting individuals who hold these beliefs is finding a balance, as what is typically seen at a public event in these communities plays an insignificant role in their daily lives and actually serves more as a tool for recruitment. Ultimately, my aim and purpose with this work is not only to put a face on marginalized and (in large part) reviled hate groups but also to explore as honestly as possible their individual humanity—no matter how hateful and abhorrent they might appear to those of us on the outside.
When speaking in terms of marginalized groups in general, not only am I documenting a group of people with a specific ideology, but also, on a collateral level, there is a multitude of individual personalities and sub-story potential.
Potter County, Pennsylvania, otherwise known as God’s Country, is on the border of New York State, in the Tioga Forest. It’s home to a family of white nationalists I’ve been documenting since 2016. I’ve also spent time photographing members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who picket against homosexuality, as well as at the funerals of fallen soldiers across the United States. I’ve also documented Vodouisants in Haiti, Santeria practitioners, and Satanists.
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