Racial terror refers to the organized violence and intimidation tactics used by white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, to maintain racial hierarchy and control over African Americans during Reconstruction and beyond.
Related terms
Jim Crow Laws: These were legal codes that enforced racial segregation in public facilities, schools, transportation, and housing.
Lynching: It refers to extrajudicial killings carried out by mob violence, often targeting African Americans accused of crimes or perceived social transgressions.
Segregation: The practice of enforcing separate facilities and resources for different racial groups based on the belief in racial superiority.