The Ku Klux Klan And The Alt-Rights Movement

1809 Words8 Pages

The Ku Klux Klan, or KKK for short, is an American white supremacist organization that has made quite a name for itself. They are most known for being racist, homophobic, transphobic, and just all around bad people by today’s standards. Their uniforms have been white cotton or nylon robes adorned with the standard KKK symbol on the chest. They also wear the iconic white, ghostly, pointy hat. At any political protest of any kind, one is bound to see at least one of these ghostly figures. Whether they are protesting racial laws themselves, or protesting against a different protest, they are always there to make a scene. The KKK has a history of lynching black people, burning down homes, and causing chaos in the black community. The formation …show more content…

The group still holds onto the “southern/Confederate/American pride” that they did during the old days, however, they classify themselves as an “Alt-Right” group (Home:KKK). The Alt-Right is a political movement that seeks to overhaul the conservative-right branch of politics. They pride themselves on white nationalism and white pride, something that the KKK also holds dear. The group still holds onto the white nationalist label as they seek to have “white power” and to keep the white race pure from other races. A white person mating with any other race of people is seen as a sin in the KKK’s eyes. The KKK wants white people to be the majority race in our country, as it was founded and maintained by white people. White culture is also heavily treasured and cultural diversity is not welcomed within the KKK. They see other cultures outside of the whites as a major threat to the European race. The KKK and the American Nazi Party are also allied as they share the same “Alt-Right” affiliation. In many photographs, the KKK and members of the American Nazi Party are seen together at rallies; for instance, a popular KKK photo is of a cross burning, a common “ritual” in the KKK, and next to it is a Swastika burning (“Disturbing Photos”). They do not only deal with race but sexuality as well. Most Alt-Right American groups are heavily anti LGBT, and the KKK is no exception. The KKK official website …show more content…

However, to many people’s dismay, the Klan has been looking to reform and grow as an organization. This can be seen through their attempts to be seen as more moderate. The language on their website is very friendly, and it makes one think that they have a point. The group pleads, “we are doing this to PROTECT the white race” (Home:KKK) They do not say anything about “sending the negroes back to Africa” or anything of that nature. The group simply wants to “bring back old white, Christian, American values” (Home:KKK). This could entice moderate conservatives to look into the new Ku Klux Klan. By having a website at all, they are trying to appeal to a young generation of new potential KKK members, to no avail whatsoever. This is not to say that the KKK is not growing, because it is; it is not growing in population at the moment, but in publicity. As the old saying goes, “there is no such thing as bad publicity”. The recent protest in Charlottesville called “Unite the Right” was a perfect opportunity for the KKK to become affiliated with other right wing groups. The new KKK wants to become affiliated with other groups to become more popular. The KKK and the American Nazi Party are in a very close relationship with each other. The two groups are very much “Brothers-in-Arms”. Another example of