Befriending the KKK: Daryl Davis breaks down racial barriers
Daryl Davis has probably spent more time getting to know members of the Ku Klux Klan than any other Black person in America, so we got in touch with him for his perspective this week when headlines from around the world announced what looked like a surprising development....
Daryl Davis has probably spent more time getting to know members of the Ku Klux Klan than any other Black person in America, so we got in touch with him for his perspective this week when h eadlines from around the world announced what looked like a surprising development.
"Ku Klux Klan now accepting black people, Jews and gays," wrote a Fox News affiliate in Texas, while The Christian Science Monitor wondered if "the new face of the KKK" is "Black, Jewish and gay." There were many similar stories - all based on one article in a small local paper, the Great Falls Tribune of Montana. It was picked up by a British tabloid , and repeated by news outlets around the world. But the original story had a much more cautious headline: "Many suspicious of more inclusive Montana KKK chapter."
What many headlines failed to mention was that this is not a story about the entire Ku Klux Klan, it's about one splinter group: the "Rocky Mountain Knights of the KKK." The self-proclaimed "grand goblin" of the group is a man named John Abarr , who spoke to Day 6 this week.**
He declined to be interviewed on the air but he explained his decision, saying he is willing to work with anyone of any race who agrees with his organization's ultimate goal, which is the separation of the races.
Abarr said he understood that people might find this confusing. He said the group was "under fifty people" and said the Rocky Mountain Knights had no current affiliation with any other Klan organization. He said he'd only been approached by one black person about joining up-- a man who turned out to be a reporter from New York.
After a disagreement over racist leaflets distributed in his community last year, John Abarr sat down with representatives of the civil rights organization, the NAACP. It was reported as the first time a Klansman and an NAACP rep had ever sat down to talk - and it had a profound effect on John Abarr. He went so far as to pay the dues and sign up as a member of the NAACP himself at the end of that meeting. Abarr credits that meeting as the inspiration for his decision to end his organization's membership restrictions.
Daryl Davis is a veteran blues pianist, but for decades now, he has also fostered deep personal relationships with members of the KKK. Along the way he's transformed even high-ranking Klansmen's views on race. He tells his story in his book, Klan-destine Relationships, and he spoke to Brent Bambury from Washington D.C. - where he received a Common Ground Award for his work to fight racism earlier this week.
Brent Bambury: You know the Klan. Are you surprised to see a Klan splinter group welcome blacks and Jews as members?
Daryl Davis: Actually, I'm not surprised. I've been approached, myself, to join the Klan group, and I'm black.
Were they interested in having you join for the same reason that John Abar wanted people to join his group? He wanted people to unite people who wanted to separate the racists.
Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron but, yes, that is correct.
BB: You have built close friendships with members of the Klan, some of them even came to your wedding. Why do you do this?
They are human beings. They have a different way of thinking--one that I do not agree with--but through communication and the exchange of dialogue, we each get to learn something about one another. Many of them who've come to know me have ended up changing their beliefs altogether and ended up leaving the Klan.
You're dealing with people saying hateful things, using very, very loaded symbols. Don't those things make you angry?
That's the whole problem. You've got to put the anger aside. Yes, they are very offensive. Yes, they are very destructive and very negative, but you know that going into the conversation. You realize that many of these people have not had the exposure and experiences that you've had. Therefore, they are at the disadvantage and you are at the advantage. So you set an example for them in the hopes that they will learn vicariously.
I never set out to convert anybody, I simply set out to give an example of how we can get along and exchange ideas. Through that dialogue they begin to realize we have more in common than we do in contrast. Often times, over a period of time, many of them begin rethinking their own ideology.
You've attended Klan meetings, you've been to cross lightings. Have you ever been threatened or attacked by Klan members?
Of course. I've put some in the hospital and put some in jail, but that's not a frequent occurrence. It happens every now and then and it's to be expected. After all, you're dealing with some who absolutely hate you and want to remove you from the face of the Earth. Others don't like you and don't want to associate with you, but they're not going to be violent.
Why is it worth it to you to put yourself at physical risk?
Because this is my country as well as it is theirs and many other people's. As our society becomes more and more diverse, we really need to get to know one another and understand one another so we can better understand our society. The best way for an enemy to defeat us is to divide and conquer. And, right now, we are divided.
You have a collection of Klan robes and hoods given to you, can you tell me about the first time a Klan member gave you his robes?
This particular Klan member had found out that some of his fellow members were plotting an attack on me. They were going to make up a lie to justify the attack and hurt me. He did not feel that was right because I had not done anything against them. He told me in secret about this and forewarned me, and said that he was leaving the Klan. I asked him if I might have his Klan paraphernalia, and that's how I got it.
How many Klan robes do you have hanging in your closet now?
I have a bunch of them. I probably have 15 to 18. It means that people can change. For somebody to give up their badge of honour, their uniform, to the very person they hated and despised, is a sign that they truly have rejected those beliefs.
**Added Wednesday, Nov. 19: Freelance journalist Nate Thayer also reported on the evolution of the "inclusive KKK" news story. Nate took a closer look at who exactly John Abarr is. You can find his story here.
For more of Daryl Davis' amazing story, check out the great podcast Love + Radio.