in rural Mississippi. The event instigated new scrutiny towards hate crimes and the Ku

這起事件煽動了對仇恨犯罪及Ku Klux Klan的重新審查

Klux Klan. So what is the Ku Klux Klan?

什麼是Ku Klux Klan？

Well, it’s an American hate group, also known as the KKK, that generally promotes

它是一個美國仇恨團體，又名3K黨

the supremacy of the Christian Caucasian ethnicity. They operate primarily in the Southern region,

普遍以促進基督教白人至上的種族主義為主。最先是在南部地區發跡

and are infamous for using extreme torture and violence to oppress other races, especially

因使用極端酷刑和對其他種族施壓暴力而惡名昭彰

African Americans.

特別是對非裔美國人

The group was founded in 1866, at the close of the American Civil War, and the early days

團體成立于1866年美國內戰末期、南方重建期時期前期

of the Southern Reconstruction. During this time, African American slaves became legally

在這段期間，非裔美籍奴隸正式被解放

free. But many ex-slaveholders sought to maintain pre-Civil War conditions, and intimidate African

但許多奴隸的前僱主試圖維持內戰前的條件，並恐嚇非裔美國人屈服

Americans into submission. From this time until around the civil rights era in the 1950s,

從那時起自1950年代的民權時代

racist “Jim Crow” laws were enforced exclusively by KKK vigilantes. And any person who tried

帶有種族主義的「吉姆·克勞」法被3K黨發揮得淋漓盡致。任何試圖破壞現狀的人

to upset the status quo could be tortured and killed.

可能會被嚴刑拷打或殺害

Ku Klux Klan members originally were distinguished only by cross-like insignias and hoods or

Ku Klux Klan成員起先只能從類十字的記號及頭巾或是全罩面具辨別

masks covering their faces. But in the early 20th century, KKK uniforms evolved into a

但到了20世紀初期，3K黨的服裝演變成

standardized white costume with a peaked hood. This, and the burning cross, remain the two

一套標準白服搭配尖頂面罩。這，以及燃燒的十字架

archetypal symbols for the group today.

到今日依然是此團體的兩大象徵符號

During the 1920s, the group experienced a peak popularity of more than 4 million members,

在1920年代，此團體達到巔峰時期擁有超過4百萬名成員

after the release of the pro-KKK film, “The Birth of a Nation”. However, the Great Depression

就在傾3K黨的電影「一個國家的誕生」上映之後。然而，1930年代的經濟大蕭條

in the 1930s depleted their ranks, as did an IRS tax dispute in the 1940s. Although

使組織發展跌入谷底，1940年代國稅局的稅收爭端也是。雖然

there was a brief resurgence in popularity during the 1950s, generally the KKK’s influence

在1950年代一度短暫復興，但普遍來看3K黨的影響力

recently has been on the decline. As of 2015, the group claims a total membership of 4 to

近年已逐漸下降。截至2015，團體宣稱成員人數有4至6千人

6 thousand. They live mostly in Southern states, especially Mississippi, South Carolina and

他們主要居住在美國南方，特別是密西西比、南卡羅萊納及

Texas.

德州

Today, some chapters of the KKK claim that they are not a hate group, but rather a non-violent

現今，一些3K黨支會聲稱他們並非仇恨團體，而是一個非暴力、

“Christian organization” that disagrees with the way America is changing politically.

不認同美國當今政治改變的「基督教組織」

One Klan leader in Montana is even claiming that his chapter is “all-inclusive”, and

一名在蒙大拿州的3K黨領袖甚至宣稱他的支會是「無所不包容的」

open to recruiting non-white members. Still other Klan groups have increased their ranks

並且公開招聘非白種人成員。但仍有其他3K黨團體

by joining forces with Neo-Nazi groups, and holding rallies to express racist and anti-immigration

利用聯合新納粹主義團體的方式擴充勢力，並透過舉辦集會表達種族主義以及反移民的觀點

views.

Despite their attempts at rebranding, the core foundation of the Ku Klux Klan remains

儘管他們試圖重新改造，但3K黨的核心基礎仍建立于白人至上

white supremacy. And as their membership dwindles, there is little hope for the KKK to ever return

基於他們的成員數日漸減少，3K黨想回歸到先前人數的機會微乎其微

to their former numbers. Experts at the Southern Poverty Law Center who track US hate groups,

南方貧困法律中心追蹤美國仇恨團體的專家聲稱

have claimed the KKK is having its “last gasp” as an influential organization in

3K黨做為一個在美國具影響力的組織而言已進入「奄奄一息」的階段

America.

Since the end of World War 2, and even ‘til today, Germany has enforced an incredibly

自二戰結束後，即便到了今天，德國仍強力執行

strong policy against anything related to Nazism. To learn about what some of these

反對任何與納粹主義相關的政策。想學更多相關法律的話

laws look like, check out our video here. Oh, and please remember to subscribe so you

歡迎收看我們的影片。也別忘了訂閱我們的頻道

don’t miss a single video.

才不會漏掉每支影片