Discovery Channel is going Beneath the Hood to look at the lives of modern-day Ku Klux Klan members with a new special that will debut next week. According to the network's information, no topic is off limits in this exploration of this far-right white supremacist organization, known for cross burning and instigating racial tension, among other things, since the 1800s.
KKK: Beneath the Hood is a one-hour special that features in-depth interviews from KKK leaders, "including associates of the largest surviving organizations who reveal their true identities and open up about their lives and beliefs as Klan members." According to Discovery, photojournalist Anthony Karen spent years chronicling the KKK. For the special, filmmakers look inside KKK members Rev. Thomas Robb, his daughter Rachel and her children, which will give viewers a look at the life of a klan family.
Additional interview subjects include Frank Ancona, the Imperial Wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of the KKK, one of the largest groups in the country; his deputy, Imperial Klaliff Michael Stagner; and the Grand Dragon of the Realm of South Dakota. Traditionalist American Knights member Richard Bondira grants his first televised interview during which he opens his archives of KKK artifacts for the first time with non-Klan members.
The subject of the KKK and the group's history in this country is an emotional and controversial one for many. But it's understandable that viewers would be curious about the group's modern day beliefs and practices, and understand why this group, which is occasionally referenced in pop culture, still exists and "meet" some of the people who are actively involved in it, and clearly open enough about their extreme beliefs to share them on camera for Discovery's special.
KKK: Beneath the Hood premieres Wednesday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Discovery.
