History behind the Ku Klux Klan bookstore in Pasadena, Texas explored, explained, and exposed.

Pasadena, Texas once had a Ku Klux Klan bookstore which operated from 1976 until 1986. This particular bookstore was called Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore. The business model, concept, and design were similar to the in Vidor, Texas.


The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was built in 1959 on a 4,922 square foot lot at the address of 1619 Red Bluff Road in Pasadena, Texas. A 1,910 square foot brick structure was constructed on this property and was a single story. This property featured 1,915 square feet of living space on commercial lot located in the middle of town. (Ref: https://www.realtytrac.com/property/tx/pasadena/77506/1619-red-bluff-rd/8611874/)

It was a convenience store and a produce market prior to becoming a Klan bookstore. Sometime in the late 1960s, Jack C Friday purchased the property from the previous owner to operate an automobile repair shop called Jack Friday’s Motor Sport. Jack Friday’s Motor Sport was also known as Motor Sport.  (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-court-review-nov-13-1974-p-11/)

Louis Beam purchased this property from Jack C Friday to operate the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore in 1967. Louis Beam, his brother Ray Beam, Jim Stinson, Thiell Stinson, and James R. Hall would serves as its first employees.

Louis Beam, Ray Beam, James R. Hall, and Jim Stinson were the founders of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore. Louis Beam was the Grand Titan of the Texas Knights of the Ku Klux Klan at the time back in 1968. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/pasadena-citizen-jun-28-1977-p-1/)

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was housed inside a single story brick structure up on Red Bluff Road at Red Bluff Road & Thomas Avenue. This bookstore was located right in the middle of town. On top of the roof were 12 foot red letters which read “KKK”. A big wooden cross could be seen outside the store. That is how deeply Pasadena was rooted in racism and xenophobia. 

The address for Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was 1619 Red Bluff Road, Pasadena, Texas. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM. The phone number of this bookstore was 703-472-4451. The phone number later changed to 713-472-4451. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/16029650/)
 
This bookstore would supposedly become the second largest KKK bookstore in the United States and it's number 1 bestselling book was Mein Kampf. Such racist and bigoted literature could be found at this bookstore. Such literature was considered to be “patriotic literature” much of which is propaganda. Much of their literate was filled with anti-semitism. The store would also sell guns. This KKK bookstore was even open on Sunday despite the “blue laws” being enforced. All these factors lead Pasadena to be famous for its KKK bookstore.

The security was composed of men who were “knight hawks” of Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. They would be seen wearing a black "knight hawk" security uniform guarding the bookstore with automatic weapons. (Ref: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=de_April1989)

Its union-member workers were “quite militant and radical” as they promoted conformity to an Anglo-American Protestant culture. They had a between the Pasadena Police Department and the Ku Klux Klan had a benign relationship. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan had its state headquarters and bookstore in Pasadena. The Pasadena Citizen newspaper regularly pictured the police and the KKK in close proximity during KKK demonstrations. The KKK had been known to have “penetrated the Pasadena Police Department”.
(Ref: https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Tijerina.pdf)
 
Klan members would often be seen wearing their robes trying to recruit people to join the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan on the weekends. White-hooded members of the Ku Klux Klan could be seen handing out fliers on street corners. They would hold signs that said, “Take a Stand! Joint the Klan!!!!” and “Once you go black, you can’t go back!”. Racist literature was often distributed. Klan members and TER troops (Texas Emergency Reserve) often gathered at this bookstore. (Ref: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.napaba.org/resource/resmgr/2015_NAPABA_Con/CLE_/600s/602_NAPABA2015CLE.pdf)


The local KKK was notorious for harassing black people who were just passing through town. Not only did they harass black people, they harassed homosexuals, lesbians, queers, or anyone of sexual orientation that was affiliated with LGBT.

The KKK sent KPFT-FM radio in Houston an unfriendly message just five days after devoted an entire day to a gay radio marathon. "The Ku Klux Klan is not embarrassed to admit that we endorse and seek the execution of all homosexuals.” Referring to the "law of God as quoted in Levitucus  20:13, the Klan called for the death penalty rather than following "many church people" that have been "duped by their brain-washed, pink-panty preachers into believing that we should merely pray for the homosexual." (Ref: Chicago Gay News Journal 1977, Page 5, Issue 13)


This message was available by calling their phone number which was 703-472-4451. This message would lead you to their landline which was the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore in Pasadena, Texas. (Ref: https://voices.revealdigital.org/?a=d&d=BAHDEACD19771201.1.14&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------------1)

The phone answering machine message for the Klan’s bookstore would be as follows:    

    The Ku Klux Klan is not embarrassed to admit that we endorse and seek the execution of all homosexuals. While many church people are duped by their brain-washed, pinky-panty preachers into believing that we should merely pray for the homosexuals, we find that we must endorse and support the law of God, which calls for the death penalty for homosexuals. … Not only have we seen the establishment of homosexual churches in our once unblemished land, but at least two major denominations have actually ordained homosexuals into the ministry.

        The Ku Klux Klan does not have to rely on the feelings or thoughts of man, nor do we need to experience a dialogue with some Jewish Psychiacrist or rabbi who is mentally warped anyway. We rely on the age-proven and reliable law of God. …The law on homosexuality states: “That if a man also lie with mankind as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, and shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:13). … It is not our intention to but this matter up to a discussion or debate the matter or start a dialogue with a committee of queers as to their rights of sexual freedom. The law of God states the death penalty for homosexuals, and when God’s laws are again enforced, the death penalty is what it will be.”

“We endorse and seek the execution of all homosexuals.”

(Ref: Arizona Gay News, September 16, 1977, http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2016/08/24/75589)

Employees of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore were not too friendly towards outsiders, mostly photographers. The female employees would raise guns at photographers who attempted to take pictures inside the bookstore. (Ref: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Photographing-the-Klan-in-the-1980s-6395815.php)

White Camellia Knights moved their Klan bookstore from Vidor to Pasadena as a business move and after a series of legal maneuvers by the local District Attorney in 1978. There was more demand for klan activity in Pasadena than there was in Vidor by then. Vidor had outlawed cross burning by passing a city ordinance and and a city ordinance banning unauthorized congregating. (Ref: https://www.texasobserver.org/2661-a-statewide-investigation/)

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was renamed to Ku Klux Klan Information Center in 1980. Exactly why is unknown. 

In 1980, members of the TER (Texas Emergency Reserve) went to downtown Pasadena, Texas in order to "protect" the Klan bookstore from a rumored attack by communists. Between 127-133 Klan members and TER troops gathered in front of this bookstore. (Ref: https://casetext.com/case/vietnamese-fishermens-assn-v-knights?resultsNav=false)


The Klan bookstore in Pasadena would close down in 1986 due to a lack of Klan demand for the area. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore had remained in business for nearly 20 years. (Ref: https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena/news/article/Pasadena-miserable-US-cities-Business-Insider-14491952.php)

Former Mayor John Ray Harrison was relieved when Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore packed up and relocated to Cleveland, Texas. He says, “It certainly wasn't approved of by most citizens." (Ref: https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/article/Can-Pasadena-s-image-be-changed-9734113.php)

White Camellia Knights would move their headquarters to Cleveland, Texas where Grand Dragon Charles Lee lived in 1986. All products were relocated to the White Camellia Knights headquarters in Cleveland, Texas under the direction and order of Grand Dragon Charles Lee. The bookstore would close again due to bad business practices and lack violence. The lack of violence is what led the bookstore to dissolve.

Louis Beam and Knights of the Ku Klux Klan sold the property to Jack C Friday on the date of 1/2/1988. He operated a maintenance shop and upholstery shop at this located for close to 10 years before shutting down in 1998. (Ref: https://www.arivify.com/property/search/GtEEm4E7G)

Trevino’s Holstry rented from that location starting in 1998. Trevino’s Holstry operated as a furniture repair and upholstery shop. The number for Trevino’s Holstry was 713-459-8674. Enrique Gutierrez Trevino was responsible for running both of these furniture repair shops. (Ref: https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/united-states/texas/pasadena/reupholstery-and-furniture-repair/40538902-balderas-upholstery)

Enrique Trevino made a few modifications to the building. He painted the building colors of blue and white. A wooden canopy was installed. Enrique Trevino shut down his Trevino’s Holstry business in 2005. This lead the property to become abandoned for several years.


Ownership of this property changed several times. Jack C Friday sold the property to a Chinese woman named Cindy H Hoang. Cindy H Hoang sold the property to Moss Knoll Homes LP on the date of 6/6/2006. Moss Knoll Homes LP owned this property until early 2010. Moss Knoll Homes LP was sold to a woman named Patricia A Sosa in 2010. She owned the building and property for several years. (Ref: https://www.arivify.com/property/search/GtEEm4E7G)

Parts of the building were renovated and remodeled in 2011 before being abandoned again. The building was repainted in different colors. The wooded porch area and canopy were dismantled and later demolished.

Today the bookstore is now a 137,280 square foot industrial building leased by Dunavant Distribution Group LLC and the property is owned by Principal Real Estate Investors. Principal Real Estate Investors own most of the property rights. (Ref: https://www.connect.media/dunavant-distribution-expands-bay-area-business-park-footprint-by-137k-sf/)

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Bookstore was located at 1619 Red Bluff Road, Pasadena, Texas, US 77506.