Stone Mountain and the rebirth of the KKK, one century ago

At mammoth initiation ceremonies, the Ku Klux Klan burns huge cross (background) atop Stone Mountain in Atlanta on July 23, 1948. Robed members are part of large group present. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck))

In his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. lists places around the country, from California to Colorado, saying to “let freedom ring” from each location. Halfway through, to the cheers of the crowd, he includes “Stone Mountain of Georgia.”

As many in the audience would have understood, the inclusion came with a footnote. For much of the 20th century, Stone Mountain was the symbol of the Ku Klux Klan.

The organization, in its most insidious form, was reborn there one hundred years ago.