The Ku Klux Klan
By: Chandler Frakes
What is the K.K.K.?
The K.K.K. was a group made to rebel against the Republican's reconstruction policies aimed at equality for blacks. They directed their violence to white and black republican leaders. In the year 1866, almost every southern state were full of Klansman (members of the K.K.K.). Klansman often wore white robes to look like ghosts or monsters to scare African Americans, they would also brutally murder black people, lynch them (hanged them without a trial as punishment for a suspected crime), and convince Republican's not to vote or bad things would happen which gave the Democratic party more power.
Rankings in the K.K.K.
There were many titles of given ranks in the Klan. The title Grand Wizard was the name given to the head of the Ku Klux Klan from 1866 to 1871. In 1915, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was created under the influence of the same organization during the past, highest ranking leaders would be considered an Imperial Officer, State officers were considered Grand Officers, and Grand Dragon would be considered the highest ranking officer of the given state. The picture on the rights shows the Grand Wizard, Nathan Bedford Forrest, from July 13, 1821 to October 29, 1877.
The K.K.K. Today
There are still active groups of the Ku Klux Klan in 41 of our states ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 members. The K.K.K. associates themselves with local groups like the White Knights of the K.K.K. in Tennessee and try to stay away from national groups like the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Cross lightings are often associated with the Klan to scare their minorities in the community but they claim it represents their faith in Christ. Current Klan organizations try to distance themselves from the cross burnings. The picture on the top right shows the Ku Klux Klan preparing for a cross burning.
My Reaction
Being honest, I had no idea that the K.K.K. was still active to this very day and that they still do cross burnings. It also really interested me about what their ranks were named after. I never realized that there was still a lot that I didn't know about their organization and how it is today.
Works Cited
"Grand Wizard." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
Jacobs, Harrison. "What The Ku Klux Klan Looks Like Today." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 04 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 May 2015.
"Nathan Bedford Forrest." - Metapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.