Daryl Davis | Klan We Talk | Talks at Google
1,877Award-winning musician Daryl Davis earned a degree in Jazz and tours nationally and internationally with The Daryl Davis Band. After one of Daryl's performances, a man told him it was the first time he’d seen a Black man play piano like Jerry Lee Lewis. Daryl explained the Black origin of Lewis's style and the man became a fan. Turns out, he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. This led to Daryl becoming the first Black author to interview KKK leaders and members, detailed in his book, Klan-Destine Relationships. Today, Daryl owns numerous Klan robes and hoods, given to him by active members who renounced their racist ideology after meeting him.
As a Race Reconciliator and lecturer, Davis has received numerous awards and is often sought by CNN, MSNBC, NPR and other media outlets a consultant on race relations and White supremacy. Daryl is also an actor with stage and screen credits. He appeared in the critically acclaimed HBO police drama, The Wire, and most recently, he is the subject of the documentary Accidental Courtesy, which filmed his real life encounters with Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi leaders as he helps to dismantle racism across the United States.
Moderated by Chris Clark.