- How a radio show turned public opinion against the KKK
When asked to think of a piece of writing that encourages social change I was immediately reminded of the Superman radio show from the 1930s aptly titled, Adventures of Superman. This radio show was instrumental in breaking the hold that the KKK had on the south of the time. Superman was already quite an established iconic American superhero at the time, and the writers of the show knew this well. Previously, Superman had singlehandedly defeated Hitler and other nazi leaders in one of his comic book runs. He was the quintessential hero! The writers of the radio show purposefully depicted the superhero as a klan member-punching antiracist figure, and this portrayal succeeded in turning public opinion against the KKK. Not only did they depict Superman as antiracist, but the show also helped spread secret information about the KKK throughout the country.
The writers of the show worked with journalist and activist, Stetson Kennedy, to incorporate real klan code words and secrets into the show’s plot. Kennedy passed on information to the Superman writers which he had gained while he was undercover and posing as a klansman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. These aspects worked in tandem to shift public opinion against the KKK in the southern states. Before taking this class, I don’t think I would have identified Adventures of Superman, as a piece of public writing. I would have called it media, or entertainment with morals, but I’m not sure I would have said it was writing that called for public change. What I thought previously about the radio show doesn’t change the fact that it is a written work, made for the public, and it not only encouraged social change, but also aided in it! It is for this reason that I love comics, adore Superman, and am a proud graphic novel nerd.
Here’s a link to an article from the Jim Crow Museum if you want to know more!
Thoughts From Here 
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