December 24 In History: The Birth Of The White Supremacist Ku Klux Klan

By Klux Klan (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - On December 24, 1865, a group of veterans from the Confederate Forces gathered in Pulaski, Tennessee, United States (US). Their goal was to gather to form a secret society which they named the 'Ku Klux Klan' or KKK for short.

The KKK grew rapidly from a secret fraternity. They became a paramilitary force bent on reversing activities in the Age of Reconstruction.

Above all, the KKK wants to eliminate policies that improve the rights of African-American residents. Launching History, Thursday, December 24, the name Ku Klux Klan comes from the Greek word kyklos, which means "circle".

And the word "clan" in Scottish-Gaelic, which was probably chosen for alliteration reasons. Under the platform of a white racial superiority philosophy, the group used violence as a means of countering the Age of Reconstruction that gave African Americans rights.

KKK violence in the south

From 1867 onwards, African-American participation in public life in the South was one of the most radical aspects of the Reconstruction Era. Black people have won elections for the Southern State government, even the US Congress.

Meanwhile the Ku Klux Klan is dedicated to carrying out underground violence against Republican leaders and voters, both black and white. The KKK attempted to push back the Reconstruction Era policies and restore white supremacy in the South.

To launch its action, the KKK joined in similar organizations, such as the Knights of the White Camelia - launched in Louisiana in 1867 - and the White Brotherhood. At least ten percent of black legislators elected during the 1867-1868 constitutional conventions were victims of violence during the Age of Reconstruction.

Republicans and black institutions, such as schools and churches have also been targeted by the KKK. The KKK is known to use intimidation, destruction of property, assaults and assassinations to achieve electoral goals and influence.

In some Southern States, Republicans organized militia units to disband the KKK. In 1871, the Ku Klux Act was passed by congress. This gave US President Ulysses S. Grant the authority to use military force to suppress the KKK.

The Ku Klux Act put nine counties in South Carolina under martial law and experienced thousands of arrests. In 1882, the US Supreme Court declared the Ku Klux Act unconstitutional. But by that time the Era of Reconstruction was over. And the KKK temporarily receded.

The 20th century witnessed two forms of revival of the KKK. First in response to immigration in the 1910s and 20s.

Others were in response to the African-American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The civil rights movement in the 1960s also saw a surge in KKK activity, including bombings of black schools and churches, as well as violence by black and white activists in the South.

Various chapters of the KKK still exist in the 21st century. White supremacist violence is generally on the rise again in the US. Some of the most notable tragedies, including the Charleston Church shooting in 2015, the 2017 "Unite the Right" Parade in Charlottesville, Virginia; the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue shootings; and the 2019 shootings in El Paso, Texas; all of them fueled by white supremacy and racism.