You cannot beat the hate out of a person, but you can love it out of them. I am living proof that friendship, love, and patience can transform the hearts of those you once thought were beyond reach.
Daryl Davis
1,936 posts
Daryl Davis
@RealDarylDavis
Musician▪️Author▪️Lecturer▪️Barrier-Breaker
🎥 “Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America” on Prime & AppleTV -
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- One time, Roger Kelly, Imperial Wizard of the KKK and I went to a show titled "RACISM: WRONG OR WHITE" at Howard University, featuring panelists like Reverend Jesse Jackson. I had invited Roger, not to speak, but to listen and observe different perspectives on racism. He agreed,
- If I, a Black man, can talk to and befriend KKK members, you can talk to co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends who don’t share your views, too.
- I never set out to convert anyone in the Klan. I just set out to get an answer to my question: "How can you hate me when you don't even know me?"
- People ask me all the time “Daryl why do you keep these robes & hoods?!” I keep them because maybe I’ll make a museum someday. And I keep them because we don’t burn our history—we learn from it. That’s something a white supremacist group would do and I definitely do not want to
- Seeing a Klansman change is a reminder that no one is beyond reach
- True strength comes from recognizing our shared humanity and building bridges across our differences.
- I have received hundreds of robes, hoods, flags, etc. This is only possible with respectful dialogue, patience, and time.
- It's not about converting; it's about conversing. Understanding comes from dialogue, not debate.
- This is Imperial Wizard Billy Snuffer of the Rebel Brigade Knights. I met with him a few times before this picture was taken. But on this day he was attending a court hearing for a fellow Klan member. As we were talking in front of the court house a crowd was drawing near that
- Tours world w/music/lectures 30+yrs experience of encounters w/Grand Dragons/Imperial Wizards/neo-Nazi Commanders. Talks race reconciliation, inspiring racists/ non-racists to redirect their positions toward working together to truly make America the greatest country it can be.
00:00 - These individuals are, like it or not, our fellow Americans. Through understanding and patience, we can find unity. It's about transforming fear into friendship, one conversation at a time. For the sake of our future, let us start talking WITH each other.
