Klansville, U.S.A

Klansville U.S.A.: the name given to a town in South Carolina that was once riddled with anti-black KKK members during the 1960s. Making their much-awaited return after their fallout in the 1920s, the Klan came back larger and more powerful than ever.

If you were born into a family of Klu Klux Klan members, you’re bound to be one during this time. This is what happened to Bob Jones, a member of the military who was known to be a racist. He was dropped from the military after refusing to salute a black officer. After being discharged, Bob Jones worked for a well-off life while making a sufficient amount of money. Bob then decided to organize a rally. He did not believe that many would show up but to his surprise, about 2,000 people came. This North Carolina rally was what helped Jones come to the realization that he had a “future” in that realm. He realized that the same people who showed up to his first rally would continue to support his efforts. These realizations are what led Jones to take his initiatives to the next level. Because of his efforts, the Klan grew to about 10,000 members despite North Carolina’s lack of progression with civil rights. Jones set up rallies across the state and built new chapters as well. 

The Klan became so large and popular that its growth was the cause of its downfall. The FBI started to catch on to its popularity and began to investigate the secrets of the Klan. The FBI used George Dorsett as a way to go against Bob Jones and unveil the secrets of the Klan. This led to the arrest of Jones and the loss of faith in Jones from his followers. 

The Klan is still present in the United States today. It was last reported that there were 42 active groups across 22 states. Upon further research, I found that there are 12 small, but active groups in Maryland (my home state). The first amendment protects the right to be a member of the Klu Klux Klan but it is a dying group because of how hard of a time they are having trying to show reasons that people should join and gain new followers.