State government officials in Mississippi were shocked to discover a stash of Ku Klux Klan materials hidden inside their own department. While cleaning out a closet in preparation for a move to a new headquarters, Mississippi Department of Public Safety officials uncovered a small blue suitcase filled with items related to the violent white supremacist organization, dating back to the 1960s. Among the materials were a handbook for the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a Klan robe, recruitment materials, meeting notes, ledgers, and charters. Also included was a Klan propaganda pamphlet entitled “The Ugly Truth about Martin Luther King,” which was published by the United Klans of America. In a press release, the state’s DPS said the materials were handed over to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. DPS commissioner Sean Tindell said that “by preserving these artifacts and shedding light on such organizations, we help ensure that future generations are never led astray by such hate.” MDAH director Barry White said, “These records will give researchers broader access to documentation that deepens our understanding of Ku Klux Klan activities in Mississippi during the 1960s.”
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