The New Klan: Heritage of Hate
The New Klan: Heritage Of Hate is a 1978 PBS nation-wide documentary that has been newly restored for today’s audiences. No changes or edits were made, nothing has been added or removed since its first release.
Filmmakers Eleanor Bingham and Leslie Shatz gained unprecedented access to the Klan’s ceremonies, leaders, and members, including the KKK’s involvement in the murders of three “freedom fighters” in Alabama. The film exposes Grand Dragon David Duke’s early campaigns to legitimize white supremacy and normalize the racism of the Klan’s “Heritage of Hate.”
The New Klan also features archival footage of Chicago’s Channel 7 live debate between Duke and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, which highlights Duke’s strange approach to twisting American history as a means to justify the Klan’s approach and beliefs of “separate but equal.”
This documentary is a must see for anyone concerned about the state of racism and white nationalism in the U.S. today. “There are many parallels between The New Klan and the growing license to express intolerance in the current political climate,” said Bingham. “It allows us to look at our past to inform our future.”