The announced Ku Klux Klan documentary that was supposed to air on A&E will no longer push through. The network said in a statement that they have found out that some of the participants of the docu-series have been paid.
A.V. Club reported that the documentary was supposed to serve as a close look at the anti-hate members of the group and want to focus on helping people leave the infamous Ku Klux Klan. Ku Klux Klan is a racist hate group that has a long history of violence against African Americans. A&E said in a statement that they are canceling the series because of a policy violation.
A&E noted that the third-party producers of the series made cash payments to some of the participants in order to facilitate the access into some of the lives of the Ku Klux Klan members. They noted, "We had previously provided assurances to the public and to our core partners - including the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change - that no payment was made to hate group members, and we believed that to be the case at the time."
TV Series Finale added that the docu-series, which was supposed to be called "Escaping The KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate In America," was not made in order to glamorize the group or present the series like it is a reality TV show. Many people have commented regarding the matter saying that despite the main goal of the show, it might normalize white supremacist groups and embolden others to join the Ku Klux Klan. The supposed docu-series was originally called "Generation KKK."
A&E added that they are not giving up on the subject matter as they noted that although the show will no longer be aired on the network, the issues of hate in the United States will not go away. A&E said that they will seek to fight hate in the country through on-air programming in the future.
The network said that they will partner with civil rights organizations and work with the community to facilitate a deeper dialogue. They want to end hate through comprehensive educational and outreach campaigns.
