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Yes, Ben Carson made statements along these lines, and the core historical claims are largely accurate regarding the 19th- and early-to-mid-20th-century Democratic Party (with important nuances). Ben Carson’s Statement Carson has said variations of this, including in contexts like Blexit discussions: “Who started the KKK? That was the Democrats. Who was the party of slavery? Who was the party of Jim Crow and segregation? Who opposed the Civil Rights Movement? Who opposed voting rights? It was all the Democrats.” This matches the meme closely. Fact-checkers and critics often note it as a rhetorical point highlighting historical Democratic support for these things in the South. Historical Facts • KKK: Founded in 1865–1866 in Pulaski, Tennessee, by ex-Confederate soldiers (e.g., Frank McCord and others) as a social club that rapidly turned into a terrorist organization targeting Black Americans and Republicans during Reconstruction. Its first Grand Wizard was Nathan Bedford Forrest, a prominent Democrat and Confederate general. Many founders and members were Southern Democrats opposed to Reconstruction policies. The Democratic Party as an institution didn’t “found” it officially, but the group was deeply tied to Southern Democratic resistance—using violence, intimidation, and voter suppression to restore white Democratic control. • Jim Crow and Segregation: After Reconstruction ended (around 1877), Southern Democrats (“Redeemers”) regained power in state legislatures and enacted Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation in public facilities, schools, transportation, etc. They passed poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures to disenfranchise Black voters. This system dominated the South for decades, with strong support from Democratic politicians. Northern Democrats were often complicit or silent. • Slavery and Civil War: The Democratic Party in the antebellum era was the primary defender of slavery, especially in the South. Southern Democrats pushed for its expansion, and the party split over the issue in 1860. The Confederacy was overwhelmingly Democratic. Republicans (Lincoln’s party) opposed its expansion and later abolished it via the 13th Amendment. These are well-documented historical realities. Fact-checks sometimes push back on phrasing like “the Democratic Party founded the KKK” (it was more grassroots among Democrats than an official party project), but the association with Southern Democrats is accurate. Important Context: Party Realignment The parties of the 1860s–1960s are not the same as today’s in terms of voter bases and regional strongholds: • Post-Civil War: Republicans (party of Lincoln) were the main champions of Black civil rights and Reconstruction; Democrats dominated the segregated South (“Solid South”). • Mid-20th century shift: Democrats (especially Northern liberals) increasingly supported civil rights. Key moments include Truman’s desegregation efforts, LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 (opposed by many Southern Democrats). This caused a realignment. Many conservative Southern whites moved toward the Republican Party over time (via the “Southern Strategy,” states’ rights rhetoric, etc.), while Black voters shifted overwhelmingly to Democrats. • Today: The ideological and regional alignments have largely flipped on these issues. Modern Democrats emphasize civil rights expansions and anti-discrimination policies; modern Republicans emphasize limited government and oppose certain race-based policies as reverse discrimination. Carson’s point is a common conservative argument highlighting that historical Democratic policies harmed Black Americans and that today’s parties aren’t monolithic continuations of their past selves. Critics argue it ignores the realignment and modern platforms. Both the history and the evolution are factual—parties are coalitions of people and ideas that change over generations.