Ku Klux Klan
Domestic Terrorism
By: Monica DeHart, Aida L. Wilhelm &
DaVette Henderson
Ku Klux Klan Facts
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Definition:
“1. A secret society organized in the South
after the Civil War to reassert White
supremacy by means of terrorism”
(www.answers.com, 2007, p.1).
Classification:
Fringe Right
Strength:
less than 500 members
Ku Klux Klan Facts
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Source of Income: Membership dues and
sales of KKK paraphernalia.
Also known as: American Knights of the
Ku Klux Klan, Imperial Klans of America,
and Knights of the White Kamelia.
Last offense:
unknown
Ku Klux Klan
Two Generations
Background Information
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Post Civil War:
6 middle-class Veterans of the
Confederate Army founded the Ku Klux
Klan.
December 24, 1865: Ku Klux Klan
established.
Modern day Fraternal Organization:
expressing their beliefs of a supreme
race White Power.
The First Era of Ku Klux Klan
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President Ulysses Grant demolished the
Ku Klux Klan in the 1870’s under the
Civil Rights Act.
1871 Ku Klux Klan Act
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007).
Began by humor and eventually turned
into hatred and terrorism towards nonwhite’s.
Key Target was African Americans also
known as- NEGRO’S!!!
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007).
Nathan Bedford Forrest
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Nominated as the “Grand
Wizard” which was the
Klan’s national leader
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007,
p.3).
1867 Meeting to compose a
formal membership of the
KKK.
Forrest is quoted by George
Gordon as stating “…that’s
a damn good thing. We can
keep them niggers in their
place” (www.answers.com,
2007, p. 10).
Activities of the First Era
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“The Klan sought to control the political
and social status of the freed slaves”
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007, p.3).
“Specifically, it attempted to curb black
education, economic advancement, voting
rights, and the right to bear arms”
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007, p. 3).
Activities of first era cont…
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KKK Targets:
School teacher’s, Operatives of the federal
Freedman’s Bureau and Black member’s of
the Local Leagues.
The Klan killed over 150 African Americans
in one county in Florida
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007, p.3).
The Second Era of Ku Klux Klan
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In 1915, William J. Simmons (Grand Wizard)
re-established the second era.
Simmon’s was inspired by the movie “Birth of a
Nation” by D.W. Griffith (www.adl.org, 2007,
p.3).
Politics:
More organized and focused on political and
social reform.
Membership:
4 million
Mostly in Midwestern states
William J. Simmons
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Elected in 1915 at meeting on
Stone Mountain.
Sought to form a fraternal
organization.
Based on comprehensive
Americanism.
Recruited post WWI and
patronized conflicts occurring
in U.S.
“Now let the Niggers,
Catholics, Jews and others
who disdain my wizardry,
come out.”
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007,
p.7).
Second Era of the Ku Klux Klan
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Advocated: anti-jewish, anti-catholic, anticommunists and anti-immigant
(www.wikipedia.com, 2007, p. 8).
Republican & Semi-Democratic.
“Violence” of the Ku Klux Klan
Lynching
Whippings
Murders
Tar and feathering
Bombings
Shootings
Floggings
Beating and sexual
assaults
Hate Crimes of the KKK
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Lynching
1915 the Lynching of
Leo Frank
March 20, 1981
lynching of Michael
Donald
Hate Crimes of the KKK
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Bombings
Alabama Church:
September 15, 1963
4 girls killed and 22
adults injured
Recent findings
May 17, 2000:
clarifications on
Church bombing
FBI aware of
bombings
Hate Crimes of the Ku Klux Klan
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In 1977 Joseph Paul
Franklin (Former KKK
member & serial killer )
was indicted for
bombing a synagogue
in Chattanooga,
Tenneessee.
He called it a
“synagogue of Satin”
(www.query.nytimes.co
m, 2007, p.1)
Hate Crimes of the KKK
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In 1951 the Ku Klux
Klan bombed Harry
T. Moore’s home.
(school teacher &
State Director of
NAACP)
40 years later the
FBI & KKK conspired
with local authorities
to carry out the
bombing
Current Chapter
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Female Bands:
Blue-Eyed Devils
Angry Aryans
Prussian Blue
Believe in White Supremacy
Source of Education:
1950’s racist textbooks
Lyrics:
"Strike force! White survival. Strike force! Yeah."
(F:\Bakersfield girl band Cute Klux Klan.htm, 2007, p.1)
"We are proud of being white. We want our people to
stay white we don't want to just be, you know, a big
muddle. We just want to preserve our race."
(F:\Bakersfield girl band Cute Klux Klan.htm, 2007, p.1)
References
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www.adl.org
www.answers.com
F:\Bakersfieldgirlbandcutekluxklan
.htm
www.query.nytimes.com
www.wikipedia.com