Series synopsis
Ku Klux Klan: An American Story, also known as Ku Klux Klan : une histoire américaine is a French documentary war & politics television series that premiered on ARTE on October 6, 2020. It ended on October 6, 2020. It was created by David Korn-Brzoza. It stars Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Chris Buckley, Elaine Frantz and Mark Potok.
Since its birth in 1865, in the wake of the American Civil War, the history of the Ku Klux Klan has been inseparable from that of the United States. The debates over slavery, the populism in the roaring twenties, the struggle for civil rights in the sixties, the rise of the far-right in the early 21st century; the Klan seems to have always embodied the dark side of the nation, with its gray areas and blind spots.
Premise
Since its birth in 1865, in the wake of the American Civil War, the history of the Ku Klux Klan has been inseparable from that of the United States. The debates over slavery, the populism in the roaring twenties, the struggle for civil rights in the sixties, the rise of the far-right in the early 21st century; the Klan seems to have always embodied the dark side of the nation, with its gray areas and blind spots.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Lucien Jean-Baptiste as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Chris Buckley as Self- Former KKK Member
- Elaine Frantz as Self - Kent State Professor
- Mark Potok as Self - USA Right-wing Expert
- Linda Gordon as Self - NY Univ. Professor
- David Cunningham as Self - St. Louis Washington Univ. Professor
- Felix Harcourt as Self - Austin College Professor
- Adam Green as Self - Chicago Univ. Professor
Guest cast
- Dale Long as Self - Civil Rights Activist
- Bernard LaFayette Jr. as Self - Civil Rights Activist
- Bill Baxley as Self - Former Alabama Attorney General
- Avery Rolling as Self - Former FBI Agent
- Cecil Moses as Self - Former FBI Agent
- William Joseph Simmons as Self - KKK Leader (archive footage)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt as Self - Politician (archive footage)
- Arthur Hornbui Bell as Self - KKK Leader (archive footage)
- August Klapproth as Self - German-American Bund Member (archive footage)
- Samuel Green as Self - KKK Leader (archive footage)
- Lawrence A. Rainey as Self - Freedom Summer Murders Defendant (archive footage)
- Martin Luther King Jr. as Self - Civil Rights Activist (archive footage)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 2 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2 | October 6, 2020 | October 6, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Birth of the Invisible Empire How the Ku Klux Klan, the oldest terrorist gang in the United States of America, was founded in the wake of the American Civil War (1861-65). After the defeat of the Confederation, the Klan uses intimidation, attacks and lynching to beat down the newly free black population… |
October 6, 2020 |
| 2 |
Resurrections When, in the 1950s, the civil rights movement begins the fight for equal rights for African-Americans, the Invisible Empire and white supremacy groups wake again and establish a reign of terror and violence in Southern states. |
October 6, 2020 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ARTE |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 6, 2020 |
| Last aired | October 6, 2020 |
| Runtime | 53 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Tuesday |