The Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated as the KKK, is a white supremacist hate group that has a long and violent history of targeting African Americans in the United States. The Klan was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, by Confederate veterans during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War.

The Klan's primary goal was to maintain white supremacy and prevent African Americans from gaining political and social equality. Members of the Klan engaged in acts of terrorism, including lynching, arson, and intimidation, to intimidate and oppress African Americans and other minority groups.

During the height of its power in the 1920s, the Klan had millions of members across the country and wielded significant political influence in some states. The Klan's reign of terror led to the deaths of thousands of African Americans and other marginalized populations.

Though the Klan's influence has waned over the years, it still exists today in various forms and continues to spread hatred and promote violence against Black people and other groups. The struggle against the Klan and other white supremacist organizations is an ongoing battle in the fight for racial justice and equality.