Award-winning film chronicles five Chattanooga women who used a Reconstruction-era law to defeat the Ku Klux Klan in civil court
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2026) – Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has been honored with a regional Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Midsouth Chapter for How to Sue the Klan, which won in the category of Outstanding Short Form Documentary at the 40th Midsouth Emmy Awards in Nashville.
Crump is a producer of the 35-minute film alongside director John Beder and fellow producers Cameron S. Mitchell and Raji Ramanathan. The documentary tells the story of five Black women from Chattanooga, often referred to as the “Chattanooga Five”, who were shot by Ku Klux Klan members in 1980 and then turned to a little-used Reconstruction-era statute, the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, to sue the Klan in federal civil court. Their landmark victory bankrupted a local Klan chapter, barred it from operating in Chattanooga, and created a blueprint for using civil litigation to dismantle organized hate groups.
“Receiving an Emmy for How to Sue the Klan is really about honoring the extraordinary courage of these five Black women from Chattanooga,” said Attorney Ben Crump. “They took on one of the most fear-driven organizations in American history and changed the law’s role in confronting hate. Our hope is that this film inspires a new generation of lawyers, organizers, and everyday people to use every tool we have to hold violent extremists accountable.”
How to Sue the Klan has quickly become one of the most decorated short documentaries in the country. In addition to the MidSouth Emmy, the film recently won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary Short and has screened at festivals across the United States, earning multiple top-documentary honors. The film has been acquired by PBS’s Reel South series for national broadcast and streaming. Educational licensing is available through Good Docs.
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ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
