( abbr the KKK )
a secret US organization opposed to equal rights for African Americans . The members wear long white robes and tall pointed hats to hide their identity. Their leader is called the Grand Wizard. They sometimes burn the Christian symbol of the cross in front of the houses of African Americans or people who support them. The organization was first formed in Tennessee in 1866, to frighten African Americans after the Civil War , but it was made illegal in 1871. It began again in 1915, attacking not only African Americans but also Jews, Roman Catholics and people from foreign countries. It had nearly 5 million members in the 1920s, including many outside the South. The Klan became strong again in the 1960s when it opposed the civil rights movement , often with violence, but today it has less influence.