A&E is coming under criticism for announcing a documentary series called Generation KKK, which follows members of the racist hate group and family members who want to distance themselves from the Klan. Some will see the show as an interesting look inside of the oldest and one of the most notorious hate groups to be born in the United States, but others see it as a vile platform for a group that has openly hated and targeted people of color for decades and endorsed Donald Trump for president.
The network was certainly aiming to be topical by following Klan members and their family around for a year in a time when hate crimes against vulnerable populations are on the rise. But for many, this is precisely the reason why the hate group doesn't need an additional platform for their ideas.
Rob Sharenow, A&E's general manager, told the New York Times that the network tried to strike a balance with the show and aimed not to propagate hate with Generation KKK. "We certainly didn’t want the show to be seen as a platform for the views of the KKK," Sharenow told the Times. "The only political agenda is that we really do stand against hate."
Generation KKK will air on A&E next year.
