How was the KKK different in the 1920's?

One difference is the Klan had a lot more power. They were able to lynch innocent black people or persecute Jews and Catholics, and suffer no punishment, since all-white and all Protestant juries would generally refuse to convict. Another difference is the Klan dominated local government in many southern cities. Even some judges were members. This meant that it was nearly impossible for minorities to get justice.

The Klan's membership increased dramatically in the 1920s, and there was a reason for that. It was an era of great social change, when women got the right to vote, millions of immigrants were settling here, there were new inventions (like radio), and a growing number of black people were moving north to seek a better life away from segregation. Even some southern blacks were attending colleges and trying to move up in society.

Whenever there is social change, there is also a backlash. The rise of the Klan in the 1920s was undoubtedly a reaction to the many social changes that made most southern whites (and even some northern whites) very uncomfortable. Today, segregation is no longer allowed (as it was in the 1920s), and it is doubtful judges would brag about belonging to a racist organization. In the 1920s, the Klan was powerful; today, most people do not take it very seriously. Today, most white people know and work with black people, and few if any white people want to see a return to lynching, segregation, or the glorification of racism. In the 1920s, many thought the KKK were heroic; few people feel that way today, even in the south.