Edward Venable from Kentucky/ KKK
This is a very strange question.
I am writing a college paper that is based on an unfortunate incident that happened to me when I was in the 8th grade.
I attended a small private school and my English teacher, who was African American, refused to have me in her class b/c she thought I was racist.
The school was going to set me up with my own private English class. This infuriated my parents. They removed me from that school, demanded all their money back, and placed me in public school.
My English teacher thought that I was racist b/c my family was supposedly in the KKK. (I am not racist, not even a little bit.)
My parents are not racist, my Grandfather, Edward Venable was not racist.
I was wondering if anyone knew if Edward Venable (who was born in Kentucky) and if his family (my ancestors) were really members of the KKK.
I have done some research and I have discovered that there were Venables involved w/ the KKK. But I'm not sure how closely we are related to these people.
The Venables that seem to have had the most involvement w/ the KKK are the Venables from Stone Mountain GA.
I'm pretty sure these are the Venables that offended my English teacher. (Especially since Martin Luther King incorporated Stone Mountain into his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.) I was wondering if anyone could tell me how Edward Venable from Kentucky is related to the Venables of Stone Mountain, if at all.
Or if the family of Edward Venable of Kentucky had any relationship to the KKK.
My father doesn't seem to know anything. And he doesn't want to know anything. (He may be embarressed since he is not racist and has many African American friends.) I was not raised to be racist.
Either way, the way that I was treated at that school wasn't right. And I have been a little uncomfortable bearing the last name "Venable" ever since.
I also find it ironic that this teacher wanted nothing to do w/ me b/c she thought that I judged her by her skin color when she was judging me based on my name.
(I'm still a little upset about it. Can you tell?)
Stone Mountain looks like a beutiful place. If I am related to the Venables that once resided there I would be interested in visiting. But I probably never will as long as my name is Venable, in fear that I'll get shot or something. My English teacher couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact w/ me and she refused to have me in her class. I can't even imagine how I would be treated in GA.
Any information that any one has on Edward Venable's extended family that could help me with my paper and my own personal closure would be very much appreciated.
Thanks, Elle Venable
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Re: Edward Venable from Kentucky/ KKK
Darrell McGraw 9/22/06