7-Year-Old Dresses as Klansman For Halloween, Mother Defends Choice

Jackson Black of Craigsville, Va., is coming under fire for dressing as a Klansman for Halloween, and the costume is a family tradition, reports WHSV.

“My brother ha[d] [worn the costume] when he was in kindergarten and when he was 13,” Mother Jessica Black said. So when 7-year-old Jackson wanted to wear the garments for trick-o-treating, Black agreed to make him the costume.

According to Jackson, he wanted to dress as a Klan member ”[’cause] it was cool.” He claims he saw the outfit in the “Fried Green Tomatoes” movie.

Still, his mom reportedly warned him about the potential backlash.

“I did tell him that if you do it, you know there’s going to be people talking about you. There’s going to be people saying bad things about you when you do wear it,” Black added.

Understandably, neighbors who saw the costume were appalled. 

”I just think it’s really sad that a kid is being taught that, that young, because they don’t know any better. You don’t hear that much about it,” said Wendi Sprouse.

Not only does wearing the costume run in the family, Black also supports the Klan’s pro-Aryan stance. She further defended it by noting the group’s charity.

“It’s supposed to be White with White. Black with Black. Man with woman and all of that. That’s what the KKK stands for. The KKK every year raises money to donate to the St. Jude’s,” she said.

And when asked if he would still wear the costume knowing that it offends some people, Jackson simply replied “Yes.”