How to Sue the Klan
![](https://wp.blackstarfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/171753677746876a31f5c1b315b9a9ddf-1145x644.jpg)
Screenings
How to Sue the Klan is the story of how five Black women from Chattanooga used legal ingenuity to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case, fighting to hold them accountable for their crimes and bring justice to their community. Their victory set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate.
Directors Spotlight
![A picture of a man named John Beder against a black background. He is centered in the frame and looking directly at the camera with a gentle smile. John is wearing a dark gray baseball cap with a light gray brim and a maroon V-neck T-shirt.](https://wp.blackstarfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ShortDocumentary_HowtoSuetheKlan__johnbeder_headshot-scaled-e1719940489459-278x278.jpg)
John Beder
Director
John Beder (he/him) is an Emmy-nominated Asian American documentary director specializing in participatory, community-centered filmmaking. His storytelling is rooted in themes of navigating identity, amplifying community stories of resistance, social justice, public health, and climate change. He is an active member of the Asian American Documentary Network, Documentary Producers Alliance, and The Video Consortium while serving as a Board Member of the local Chattanooga foundation ArtsBuild, a 2023 Tennessee Arts Commission Fellow, a 2023 Kartemquin Mentor (DVID), and a 2023 Southern Documentary Fund Mentor.
- Runtime 35 minutes
- Country United States
- Language English
- Director John Beder
- Animator Katie DeRoche
- Cast Ben Crump, Randolph McLaughlin, Juanita Toney, Nate Crumsey, Janice Sanford, Sonya Rollins, Constance Rollins, Betty Lawrence Lewis, Karen Dunn, Roberta Kaplan, Scott McCoy, David Cook
- Cinematographer John Beder, Victor Tyler
- Co Producer Tiffany Herron, Jazmine King Leblanc, Nicole Brown
- Editor Nina Vizcarrondo
- Music Amanda Jones, Kristen Personius , Nikhil Seetharam
- Producer John Beder, Benjamin L. Crump, Cameron S. Mitchell, Raji Ramanathan
- Sound Design Summer Dregs
- Premiere Philadelphia