10/5 Today in Florida History from the Florida Historical Society!

1916 – William Stetson Kennedy was born in Jacksonville on this date. Stetson was an award-winning author and human rights activist who was also known as a folk historian, a labor activist, and an environmentalist. One of the pioneer folklore collectors during the first half of the twentieth century, he is remembered for having infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s, exposing its secrets to authorities and the outside world. His actions led to the 1947 revocation by the State of Georgia of the Klan's national corporate charter. Kennedy wrote or co-wrote ten books, including “Palmetto Country” and “The Florida Slave,” both of which were published by the Florida Historical Society Press. He was a founding member and past president of the Florida Folklore Society and a recipient of the 1988 Florida Folk Heritage Award. He was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2005. Kennedy, who died August 27, 2011, remained active until his last days, continuing to speak out against social injustices.