Daryl Davis and KKK.

I peeped this deal on CNN news yesterday about a black man, Daryl Davis, that joined the Ku Klux Klan for research reasons and I was immobilized with a plethora of emotions. This brother had more gutts and heart than I would have even cared to have. You ain’t going to see me anywhere near a Klan meeting, rally, picnic, hoedown, church gathering or anything else Klan related but Daryl stepped right on up in there and broke bread with the people.  To add more fuel to the fire, Daryl invited a former Klan member to his wedding where he married, yes, you guessed it, a white woman. Now, y’all know me. I don’t give a damn what race or nationality two people are that find love. All I’m saying is, Davis, woooooo, I’m just speechless right now - damn. That would be like Flava Flav inviting Strom Thurman to his wedding to wed Bridget Nelson.  I ain’t mad at the brother, though. He did what he felt he had to do and he didn’t make an ass of himself while doing it nor did he lose his life so hooray for Daryl.  Check this out:

Davis is an African American that has made extraordinary efforts to understand and study racism from a primary perspective. Davis described his youth as a child of foreign service employees and was often the only black child in his schools and other organizations to which he belonged.

Davis recalled the “dichotomy” he faced. He was taught by tradition to respect his elders, but how could he respect a man that was blatantly spewing a hate message at him just because he was black. Davis was inspired to devote his life to studying and understanding the hate that is inherent in racism. Davis has since been successful in gaining a truly unique perspective on the issue of racism by courageously setting aside his prior experiences with racists, for the greater cause of clearly understanding the foundations hate inherent in racist groups.�

Davis scored a previously unheard of interview with Roger Kelley, “Imperial Wizard” of the Klan in the state of Maryland. Obviously enough, Davis had to withhold information about his race but successfully contacted Roger Kelley and they soon developed an unusual relationship.

Davis and Kelley began to frequent each other’s homes, and as time passed, the two surprisingly began to accept each other. In a televised CNN interview, Kelley claimed that although he accepted Davis and even considered him a friend, he would not change his views relating to the Klan because they were “cemented” in his head.

Near the end of the lecture, Davis pulled a Klan robe and mask out of his bag. He held them up like a trophy, explaining that while they will remain forever a symbol of racism and hate, that he was happy he had them because they would no longer be worn by the once national KKK “Imperial Wizard.” (All former members that left gave Davis their robes as a token of respect, and he keeps them as a reminder that he can make a difference).

Kelley eventually quit the Klan and he and Davis are now “best friends.”� This stands as a testament that the perceived risks that we take to understand and accept each other, to learn about people unlike ourselves, by striving to eliminate artificial racial boundaries, can pay huge dividends.

Comments

[Zen]

Dayam, You gotta give that man respect!