Daryl Davis, a black musician, recounts his unique friendship with Robert White, a former Baltimore police officer and Ku Klux Klan member who served prison time for racially motivated crimes. Davis met White after his release from prison and, through conversations and mutual respect, influenced White to reconsider his beliefs, ultimately leading to White leaving the Klan and giving Davis his KKK robe. Davis emphasizes the power of dialogue in overcoming hatred and promoting understanding.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker is a professional musician who tours the country and world.
2. The speaker was born in Chicago in 1958.
3. At the age of 10, the speaker's parents moved to Belmont, Massachusetts.
4. The speaker was one of two black kids in the area and experienced racism.
5. The speaker joined the Cub Scouts at the age of 10.
6. During a Cub Scout march, the speaker was hit with bottles, soda cans, and rocks by white spectators.
7. The speaker's parents explained racism to him after the incident.
8. The speaker began reading books on white supremacy, black supremacy, and the Ku Klux Klan to understand the ideology.
9. The speaker met with Roger Kelly, the imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
10. The speaker and Kelly had a conversation, and Kelly let the speaker know that he considered himself superior to the speaker due to the color of his skin.
11. The speaker and Kelly continued to meet and talk, and Kelly eventually began inviting the speaker to his home.
12. The speaker attended Ku Klux Klan rallies and took notes to understand the ideology.
13. CNN followed the speaker to a Klan rally and interviewed Kelly, who stated that his views on the Klan had not changed despite his friendship with the speaker.
14. Kelly said he believed in separation of the races and that it was in the best interest of all races.
15. The speaker believes that hate stems from fear and that respect is key to understanding.
16. The speaker's friendship with Kelly transcended the color barrier, and Kelly eventually left the Ku Klux Klan.
17. The speaker now has Kelly's Ku Klux Klan robe as a symbol of their unlikely friendship.