Racism And The Ku Klux Klan 2

Essay, Research Paper

Since the early development of society in the United States,

racism has always been a divisive issue faced by communities on a

political level. Our country was built from the immigration of people

from an international array of backgrounds. However, multitudes of

white supremacists blame their personal as well as economic

misfortunes on an abundance of ethnic groups. African-Americans, Jews

and Catholics are only some of the of groups tormented by these white

supremacists. As the amount of ethnic diversity gradually increased in

the political systems of Louisiana and the United States,

organizations rapidly formed to challenge the new ethnic variation in

government. The Ku Klux Klan is one of these groups that were formed

by people who were angered by the increase of diversity in political

office and in the workplace. Local and state officials that were

members of the Klan aided in providing influence, money, and

information to the racist organization. As the civil rights movement

became accepted, it seemed as if the power of racist organizations

deteriorated. However, with the Klan demanding freedom of speech, with

political figures related to the Ku Klux Klan still bringing prejudice

to politics throughout the country, and with multitudes of

African-American churches being burned to the ground, it seems as if

the Ku Klux Klan is still a threat to the citizens of this country.

The Ku Klux Klan has played a major role in United States

history. As the south was undergoing the era of Reconstruction after

the Civil War, the votes of newly emancipated black Southerners put

the Republicans in power throughout the state. White Southerners

resorted to brute force to preserve the white supremacy they once had.

The Klan was originally arranged into secret societies that terrorized

local white and black Republican leaders. They also threatened all

African Americans who violated the old ideas of black inferiority.

Sworn to secrecy, its members wore white robes and masks and adopted

the burning cross as their symbol. The Klan members seemed to be most

active during election campaigns, when they would either scare people

into voting for their candidate or get rid their opponents entirely.

They were noticed for their horrible acts of violence that they called

nighttime rides. These attacks included murder, rape, beatings, and

warnings and were designed to overcome Republican majorities in the

south. Due to the fear of a race war, state officials were unable to

suppress the violence. Law enforcement officials were Klan members

themselves and even when the law officers were legitimate, Klan

members also sat on juries where criminally accused members were often

acquitted.(Harrel,47-52)

The Klan was popularized through literature and film in the

early nineteenth century. Its influence spread with help from Thomas

B. Dixon’s The Clansman (1905) and D.W. Griffith’s movie The Birth of

a Nation (1915). (Harrel, 85) Harrel felt that this eventually “led to

the establishment of a new Ku Klux Klan, which spread throughout the

nation and preached anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-black,

antisocialist, and anti-labor-union Americanism” (87). Harrel stated

that the Klan’s two million adherents exercised great political power,

“often taking the law into their own hands, mobs of white-robed,

white-hooded men punished immorality and terrorized un-American

elements” (88).

The Klan erupted as a secret organization employing its

secrecy to mislead the public and inquiring newspapers. Therefore,

they were labeled the invisible empire. Harrel urges the idea that in

certain regions the Klan did not have enough influence to become

politically triumphant (307).

“But where it was strong the Invisible Empire elected scores

of local officials, state legislators, a few governors, several

national representatives, including Earle B. Mayfield of

Texas, William J. Harris of Georgia, and Hugo Black of

Alabama, to the United States Senate.” (Harrel, 307)

The Klan was extremely hungry for political gain. The best way

to promote the growth of an organization of this sort would be the

expansion of a network with prominent political and investment

resources.

“The limitation of immigration, maintenance of national

prohibition, restriction of the political influence of the

Catholic Church and minority groups, clean government,

and maintenance of community morals, were goals

which violence and intimidation alone could not achieve.”

(Harrel, 305)

It is seemed necessary that in order to have a prosperous

organization, the Klan would have to infiltrate the political offices

held by the liberals. This is a task easier said than done.

“The Invisible Empire excluded from membership, and

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