The Second Coming of the KKK

The 1920s reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan, led by historian Linda Gordon, saw a movement with up to six million members that challenged perceptions of hooded bigotry by expanding its targeting beyond the South to northern states, framing immigrant groups, Catholics, Jews, and Asians as threats to American values. Embracing a mixture of Christian symbolism and racial intolerance, the Klan gained widespread mainstream support among middle-class Americans before ultimately collapsing amidst scandals and internal corruption. This resurgence and its legacy serve as a powerful reminder of the dangerous intersections of bigotry, political influence, and societal values.