Editorial: History column sorely lacking in context

Last week in our September 18 edition, the Canton Citizen ran a story entitled “Images on Glass,” part of the True Tales from Canton’s Past series written by local historian George T. Comeau. The story focused on a photography club that was formed in the late 19th century in Canton — a group that called itself the “Kanton Kamera Klub” and used the initials KKK.

According to the author of the story, the photography club (1893-1915) had chosen that name because the initials CCC were already being used by another local club. Furthermore, he said the club kept detailed records and he has found no connection, overt or otherwise, between the naming of the club and the Ku Klux Klan, a hate group that emerged in the 1860s and resurfaced as a national organization in the 1920s.

Nevertheless, the Canton Citizen recognizes the historical, social, and emotional significance of the letters KKK, and we failed to acknowledge that significance in the September 18 print edition or on the abbreviated version of the story that was posted on our website later that same evening. Simply put, we made a poor judgment call in not contextualizing the naming of the photography club. While we cannot change the historical record, and while we do not believe the subject matter of the story itself was offensive, we should have, at minimum, acknowledged the significance of those three letters at the start of the column. Failing to do so was a mistake on our part, and we offer our sincerest apology for any pain, confusion, or hurt feelings caused by the initial presentation of Mr. Comeau’s column.

Ultimately, it is our hope that something positive comes out of all of this — perhaps a stronger dialogue on matters of race and diversity, or perhaps an opportunity to add some more diverse voices to the pages of the Canton Citizen. We also welcome our readers to share their reactions to this story and hope to be a conduit for continued discussions around issues of race and diversity and how they impact our community.

Sincerely,

Beth Erickson, Editor-in-Chief

Jay Turner, Assistant Editor

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=26977

Posted by Canton Citizen on Sep 25 2014. Filed under Featured Content, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.