Smith speaks of encounters with KKK
Brian ManzulloSome relationships defy odds.
When Daryl Davis befriended members of the Ku Klux Klan, he did just that.
Davis, an African American, has written books about the KKK, owns robes of former members and is responsible for converting people into more tolerant, respectful and educated human beings.
When Davis began asking KKK members about the basis of their hatred towards African Americans and other minorities, he was surprised to learn many members were just as curious about him as he was about them.
"Over a period of time, because you are talking, they realize 'This guy is speaking the same language I'm speaking,'" Davis said. "Then they start asking you questions and that's the first positive step."
Once the dialogue began, Davis said the people he met were most interested in why he felt equal to whites, and why he was interested in the Klan.
Perhaps the most interesting bond Davis formed was with Roger Kelly, a former national leader known as the "Imperial Dragon" of the KKK. Davis said he had more in common than in contrast with Kelly.
"He began to realize I'm just as human as he is," Davis said. "He likes the same movies I like. He believes in better education for kids. He believes in trying to get drugs off the street. We think the same woman is pretty. He began to see a human face on me."
Davis became a regular fixture with Kelly and other prominent Klan members - not just in private, but at dinners, their homes and Klan rallies. Some people voiced opposition to Davis' presence at rallies, but he rarely was seen as a nuisance or problem.
"If I was okay with Roger, I was okay with them," he said. "They follow the leader."
Davis said the Klan is afflicted with ignorance. Members simply do not possess the knowledge to end the cycle of discrimination. He said beliefs like those of the Klan are perpetuated by generations of fear.
"Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds hatred. Hatred breeds destruction," Davis said. "Fear is the most powerful emotion."
To combat fear, Davis said he made sure to treat everyone he met - as well as their views - with respect.
"Things I disagreed with, I let them know why I disagreed, but I didn't do it violently," Davis said. "I don't agree with you, but I respect your right to have that view."
A handful of the Klan members Davis has associated with over the years have since left the organization. When Kelly left the KKK, it was particularly moving, he said.
He described Kelly's robe as meaning as much to him and the Klan as a decorated general's uniform does for the Army.
"It was unbelievable," Davis said. "Here is someone who stood for over a century of violence, hate, lynchings, bombings ... to take off that robe and say 'I don't believe this anymore' and give it to the person he once hated."
Davis said he continues to keep in touch with many Klan members he has interviewed, just one step in what he calls "accelerating the eradication of discrimination."
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