A local branch of the Alabama Republican Party drew criticism over the weekend after sharing an illustration of the GOP elephant on social media that appeared to show Ku Klux Klan imagery.
The Lawrence County Republican Party sparked outrage after hooded figures resembling Klansmen appeared between the legs of a GOP elephant in an image shared on the organization's Facebook page.
"Shame on the Lawrence County Republican Party for this disgusting image," tweeted Rep. Anthony Daniels (D-AL), putting the local chapter on blast.
Lawrence County Republican Party Issues Apology
Lawrence County Republican Party Chair Shanon Terry issued an official apology in the wake of the controversy. In a Monday, August 15, Facebook post, Terry said: "I would like to offer a deep and sincere apology for a picture that temporarily appeared on this page last night.
"A Google search picture of a GOP elephant was used and later found to have hidden images that do not represent the views or beliefs of the Lawrence County Republican Party. The picture was then immediately replaced. As chairman, I take full responsibility for the error." Ironically, the image was ripped from a 2020 Mother Jones article calling out racism within the party.
What is the Ku Klux Klan?
The Ku Klux Klan, known for its white hooded outfits, is one of the oldest white supremacist groups in the U.S. and throughout its history has targeted Black Americans as well as Jewish people and immigrants.
The group was founded at the end of the United States Civil War by six ex-Confederate soldiers to express the rights and freedoms of African Americans. It was outlawed in the United States in 1871 because of violent and outrageous crimes against blacks and northerners, including murder and lynching but continues to exist even after 150 years, as an active domestic terrorist organization.
In 2017, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors extremist groups, estimated that there were "at least 29 separate, rival Klan groups currently active in the United States."
