Racist or an expression of free speech?

Rating: Null/10 (18 September 1998)

I was watching this film in History of Film class (Film 330) and was utterly shocked by the overtly racist attitudes in the film. As soon as the film depicted KKK members a heroes, I was inches from leaving the lecture theatre and going home.
Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who thought so, as my textbook also noted that it was considered disgustingly racist at the time (riots broke out at several theatres).
DW Griffiths enclosed a small "disclaimer" in the beginning of the film. I thought he was referring to the violent content in the beginning involving depictions of war. I had no idea he was going to be showing off his racist attitudes, and was completely unprepared for what I ultimately saw.