Southern Democrats, Southern Republicans, and Northern Republicans fought the Civil Rights Act, it passed because if Northern Democrats and a few Northern Republicans. Afterwards, Southern Democrats left the Democratic Party and, after briefly experimenting with their own party, (Dixiecrats) began showing up at Republican Party meetings en masse and took them over.

Nixon's "Southern Strategy" cemented the relationship between Southern racism and the Republican Party.

In its heyday, the KKK membership was predominately Southern Baptist who once were typically Southern Democrat but are now typically Republican.