The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a white supremacist hate group that has a long history of violence and discrimination against African Americans and other minority groups in the United States. The KKK was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, following the end of the Civil War. The group initially sought to resist the Reconstruction efforts that aimed to grant civil rights to newly freed slaves.

The KKK used intimidation, violence, and terrorism to enforce white supremacy and maintain control over African Americans in the Southern states. They targeted and attacked Black individuals, politicians, civil rights activists, and anyone who supported racial equality. The KKK's tactics included lynching, bombings, and other acts of terror.

The KKK experienced several periods of resurgence throughout American history, including during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. They were responsible for numerous acts of violence against civil rights leaders, such as the murders of Medgar Evers, a prominent NAACP leader, and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four young Black girls.

Despite facing legal challenges and government crackdowns over the years, the KKK continues to exist today in various iterations, albeit in smaller numbers than during its peak in the early to mid-20th century. The legacy of the KKK and its impact on Black communities in the United States is a tragic chapter in American history that continues to reverberate to this day.