This gritty A&E program goes beyond the flaming crosses and beneath the white robes to reveal the dark heart of the controversial Ku Klux Klan organization. Comments from authors who trace the history of the Klan from its birth in 1866 to the present day -- as well as stories from victims who've endured the group's hatred -- lie in eerie opposition to interviews with Grand Dragon C. Edward Foster and Imperial Wizard Jeff Bary.

t has been among the most powerful fraternal organizations in America, boasting up to four million members, and has survived for more than a century by wrapping its doctrine of hate and intolerance around the ideals of Christianity and patriotism.

The Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History reveals the dark heart of this controversial organization. Join authors David M. Chalmers (Hooded Americanism) and Wyn Craig Wade (The Fiery Cross) as they trace the history of the Klan from its birth in 1866 to the present. Discover how it adapted and responded to "crises" like the Civil Rights Movement and affirmative action. Witness interviews with the Klan's Grand Dragon and Imperial Wizard and listen as civil rights activists offer a starkly opposing viewpoint.

From the ashes of the Civil War to David Duke, The History Channel chronicles 130 years of institutionalized hatred and violence.