You might be surprised to hear that a man from Maryland with a collection of Ku Klux Klan memorabilia - medallions, t-shirts, robes, hoods - is black. His name is Daryl Davis. For decades, he has arranged to meet face-to-face with Klan members and to attend Klan rallies across the country. His quest, he says, is to get them to answer one question: “How can you hate me if you don’t even know me?”
His collection of memorabilia isn’t a celebration of the Klan’s message, but rather tokens of accomplishment. All of the pieces are from former Klan members who have left the group.
In 1998, Daryl Davis published a book about his experience called Klan-Destine Relationships: A Black Man’s Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan. He’s planning to release an updated edition in 2015. Five weeks ago, Davis was honored by “Search for Common Ground,” a nonprofit dedicated to international conflict resolution for his effort to end violent confrontation.
Audio for this segment will be posted by the end of the day.
Find out more about Daryl Davis on his website.
