How Did The Ku Klux Klan Influence The Civil Rights Movement

The Ku Klux Klan is a hate group in America which was founded after the American Civil War. The Klan formed in response to the passing of Constitutional Amendments which granted rights and freedoms to former black slaves. Unfortunately, at the time, many Southern whites still believed that Blacks were inferior and wanted to keep them in a state of semi-slavery. For the next century, equality for all Americans, including Blacks became more of a reality. As the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s emerged and it seemed like Blacks would receive equality, the Ku Klux Klan resurfaced in order to protest these efforts which threatened white supremacy. The Civil Rights Movement was the driving force for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s,

During the Civil Rights Movement it was important to the Klan to prevent Blacks from participating in anything political. It was recorded that 42% of the South’s population was Black but only 2% were registered to vote in 1960. (U.S. Government (Consensus), 1960). The Klan scared off Blacks from polls in order to keep them from using their political freedoms. As the Civil Rights Movement began, activism was growing, which scared the KKK. The fear of activists gaining control motivated the Klan to further protect white dominance in America. The statistics show that their method of fear worked, as the majority of Blacks did not come near any voting booths. Moreover, The Klan also used fire as a weapon of intimidation against African Americans. Vernon Dahmer was an activist than ran a voting registration center, within his own store. After having his registry announced over the radio, Dahmer’s house and store were attacked with fire. Klansmen barged into his house and store and lit gasoline tanks on fire. The fires killed him. (http://nuweb9.neu.edu/). The Klansmen purposely attacked this activist in public to send a message to others: the Klan would use any means to stop the