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Second Wave Ku Klux Klan
1media/KKK Members Parade in Virginia in 1922_thumb.jpg2019-11-19T22:07:32+00:00Aleya Washingtonbb23f453e4fdb56f291988fc1c3d9006858cec34412The parade pictured here contributed to the second, and largest, wave of Ku Klux Klan activity, which emerged in the 1920s. This event took place just outside of Washington D.C. The KKK elected hundreds of officials into every level of government in every region of the United States. They were known as the “Invisible Empire” during this time and worked to terrorize Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants.plain2020-03-12T02:06:57+00:00Library of Congress3/18/1922The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is an organization founded by a small group of former Confederate soldiers in Pulanski, Tennessee in 1866. Originally the group was created to invoke fear into freed slaves and the white people that helped them, but it expanded into much more. They are known for horrendous acts like the bombing of the church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls. They are also known for their symbols and strange titles (Grand Duke, Imperial Wizard, Grand Cyclops, etc). The use of these symbols was “to pose as ghosts or ‘spectral’ figures, drawing on then-resonant symbols in folklore to play ‘pranks’ against African Americans and others” (David Cunningham). They used hoods, masks, and burned crosses. The symbol of the burning cross was only added in to their symbols after The Birth of A Nation depicted a cross burning scene and the KKK adopted it to spur membership. Scandals and the rigidity of the KKK caused for membership to have difficulty increasing. However, they remain affiliated with other, similar groups (Neo-Nazis, and other organizations that use the Klan name). Today, though some continue to be blatant in their approach, others try to disguise their racist tactics through rhetoric (“rights for whites”). The KKK continues to be relevant today in many ways including through support of the current president.David Squiresc613f45970ae89ef70516076df94370392b06674
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12019-11-17T21:19:01+00:00David Squiresc613f45970ae89ef70516076df94370392b06674Historical Context for the NovelDavid Squires57timeline2021-02-18T19:55:10+00:00David Squiresc613f45970ae89ef70516076df94370392b06674