About this episode
This episode explores the origins and impact of the KKK, reflecting on historical events and their relevance today.
Six people. That's all it took. Six young men sitting in a law office in Pulaski, Tennessee, in December of 1865 - just eight months after the Civil War ended - decided to start a secret club. One that, 150 years later, still impacts our country today. To combat the recent erasure of history and ensure these stories remain not only alive but top of mind, this summer we are re-releasing some of our most important historical episodes from the last seven years. We hope you listen, share, like, and all those things, but most importantly, learn from them, and translate that into action, even if it's just telling one other person about this. Change doesn't have to be big. But these episodes show us how we got to where we are currently - and now, it's time to do something about it. What to listen for: Reflecting on what you'd do if you got together with six friends. What kind of club, movement, or difference would you choose to make? The KKK's trajectory over generations, and how it's grown, contracted, and operated. And how understanding this history helps us better understand where we are as a country today. The one segment in all our 7 years of recording close to 300 episodes, when…
People in this episode
Hosts: Sara, Misasha
Topics covered
- history
- hate groups
- KKK
- social impact
- cultural reflection
Keywords
- KKK
- history of hate
- Pulaski Tennessee
- Civil War
- social change
- cultural history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: KKK
Places: Pulaski, Tennessee
More episodes of What Do You Mean By That?
- 26: Still Not a Monolith: How We're Thinking About AANHPI Heritage Month This Year · May 19, 2026 · 23 min
- 25: From Almost High School Dropout to Stanford Law to Fighting for All Of Us: Using Legal Skills as a Force for Good, with Luke Liss · May 5, 2026 · 34 min
- 24: Are White Men Smarter Than Everyone Else? With Steve Phillips · April 21, 2026 · 46 min
- 23: 7 Years, One Big Rebrand, and Everything We Know Now: An Honest Anniversary Conversation · April 7, 2026 · 25 min
- 22: Where Do You Belong? Multi-Ethnic Identity and Citizenship with Megumi Nishikura · March 24, 2026 · 32 min
- 21: Fixing Fairness: The Future of DEI, Workplace Equity, and Organizational Change, with Lily Zheng · March 10, 2026 · 45 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the What Do You Mean By That? podcast page.