One of the greatest contradictions in United States history is the core belief that “we the people” are created equal, that we are all entitled to equal rights, to fair treatment under the law, that no one person is entitled to more rights than anyone else – and yet throughout our history, people have been denied equal rights, denied due process, and treated unjustly.
The history of our country is one in which people have always had to advocate for their rights, to protest against wrongs being committed by those in power, to protect themselves and those who need protection. Waterbury’s history is no different. There are countless stories of Waterburians standing up for what’s right, making their voices heard in an effort to make the world a better place. One such story involves The Clansman, a theatrical production that came to Waterbury in 1906, based on a book of the same name written by a Baptist minister, Rev. Thomas Dixon, Jr. The Clansman, as the name suggests, glorified the Ku Klux Klan and vilified Black men. In 1915, The Birth of a Nation, a blockbuster movie based on Dixon’s play and book, was released. Both the play and the movie were loudly protested by people in Waterbury who made it clear that racism wasn’t welcome here.
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| The Clansman, with images from the movie (from archive.org) |
