Daryl Davis
Musician, Author, Internationally Acclaimed Conflict Navigator, Compelling Unifier, and Klan Whisperer
Daryl graduated from Howard University with his Bachelor of Music Degree. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Post University for the unique work he has done in the field of race relations. He has performed extensively with Chuck Berry, The Legendary Blues Band (formerly The Muddy Waters Blues Band), and many others. While music is his profession, improving race relations is his obsession. He is known to many as “The Rock'n'Roll Race Reconciliator.”
It started during a break between performances with a band at a bar one night. A man approached Daryl and remarked that this was the first time he had ever seen a Black man play piano like Jerry Lee Lewis. Daryl explained that both he and Lewis were influenced by Black Blues & Boogie-Woogie pianists, from which Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly evolved. The man did not believe in the Black origin of Daryl’s piano style even after he said that Lewis was a friend who had shared this news with him. The man then shared news with Daryl – he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
This meeting, and those that followed, would lead Daryl on a journey all over America, meeting and interviewing leaders and members from KKK, neo-Nazi and Alt-Right groups at both his and their homes as well as their rallies. With his highly acclaimed, nonfiction book, Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl become the first Black author to write a book on the Klan from in-person interviews. The award-winning documentary, Accidental Courtesy, details his journey and has been shown frequently on PBS. Daryl, who has been to 57 countries on 6 continents, is often selected by the U.S. State Department as a highly respected expert on race relations and conflict, to present programs in various countries around the world dealing with similar situations. His next book, The Klan Whisperer, is anticipated to be released in 2022.
Daryl has been doing this work since 1983 and has become the recipient of numerous Klan robes & hoods and other racist symbols, given to him by people who once hated him when they didn't even know him. Now many of them have become his friends and supporters of his work. On the other side of spectrum, for his work in bridging race relations he is the recipient of numerous awards such as the American Ethical Union's prestigious Elliott-Black Award, Carnegie-Mellon's Carl Sagan Award & Prize, Tribeca Disruption Innovation Award, MLK Award, Search for Common Ground Award, Washington Ethical Society Bridge-Builder Award, among many others. He is often sought for commentary by CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, People magazine, and many other media sources.
In Daryl’s words, “Ever since I graduated from college in 1980 with my degree in music, I’ve been a full-time musician, traveling and performing all over America and around the world. What I’ve come to find to be the greatest, most effective, and successful weapon we can use to combat ignorance, racism, hatred, and violence, is also the least expensive weapon – and the one that is least used by Americans. That weapon is called communication. We can communicate with people in space but many of us have difficulty talking to the person who lives next door because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, their religion, their orientation, their politics, etc. We are living with 21st century technology in Space Age times, but there are still too many of us with Stone Age minds.”
Daryl has come in closer contact with more members of the Ku Klux Klan than most White people, and certainly most Blacks, short of being on the wrong end of a rope. What's more surprising? He intentionally continues to do so because as he says, “Ignorance breeds fear. If you do not keep that fear in check, that fear will breed hatred. Because we hate those things that frighten us. If you do not keep that hatred in check, that hatred in turn will breed destruction because we want to destroy those things that we hate. Why? Because they frighten us.”
When he speaks, Daryl Davis’s impact on an audience is sobering yet inspirational. More than a few members in every audience remember and ask him about the fictional character in Dave Chappelle’s comedic skit in which he plays a blind Klansman who didn't know he was Black and attends Klan rallies. Daryl shares stories that would be comical, if he weren’t putting his life on the line for a purpose. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction might ever be in Daryl’s case. People will also point out how courageous Daryl was to actually turn up at Klan rallies himself. Inevitably they bring up Spike Lee’s film BlacKkKlansman. That film depicts a Black police officer who infiltrated the KKK over the telephone and would send a White subordinate officer to Klan rallies in his place to gather damning intelligence against the Klan. The difference is not lost on the audience. Daryl had his feet on the ground in the lion's den and tells the story first-hand.
Through his work, Daryl has discovered a successful method of transforming enemies into friends. His stories of his encounters with – and transformations of – White supremacists have inspired people all over the U.S. and abroad. His audiences leave his presentations empowered to:
• Overcome Their Fears
• Confront Their Prejudices
• Recognize Similarities
• Appreciate Differences
• Navigate Diversity
• Improve Relationships with Others
• Better Their Lives While Creating a Positive Impact on Others
In addition to his career as a performing musician, Daryl is the owner of Lyrad Music, a music publishing and licensing business. He is also an actor of stage and screen and has appeared in HBO's highly acclaimed series The Wire.
CONVERSATIONS THAT IGNITE CHANGE
Conversation can build bridges or walls. It’s up to us. Daryl Davis should know. The noted Black musician gained international acclaim by confronting, face to face, leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and other White supremacist groups who hate him simply for the color of his skin. Daryl’s was an effort to understand them, not to change minds, but those civil conversations forged unlikely and genuine friendships. Over time, many of his new friends changed their own minds and renounced their old beliefs. What can we learn from Daryl’s inspiring and jaw-dropping experiences?
Sample Takeaways:
- Apply universal tools to create positive change wherever conflict or disagreement exists
- Prepare: Understand the other person’s position and reasoning before you engage
- You needn’t respect what people say but you must respect their right to say it
- Learn to listen, understand, and keep emotions in check, even in incendiary situations
- How to recover/repair a relationship with a colleague, client, friend, or family member
DIVERSITY LESSONS FROM A BLACK KLAN WHISPERER
“We spend too much time talking about the other person, talking at the other person, and talking past the other person. Amazing things can happen when we spend some time talking with the other person.” So says Daryl Davis, whose jaw-dropping experiences engaging KKK and White supremacist leaders hold lessons that inspire audiences to think differently about how they engage others who don’t share their views, backgrounds, religion, etc. The more we talk, the more we understand each other and discover what we have in common. That’s when the possibilities open up and the importance of our differences diminishes.
Sample Takeaways:
- Learn to build bridges and ignite positive change in the workplace, community, and at home
- Everyone wants the same 5 things – learn what they are and how they drive behavior
- Spend 5 minutes together and you will find things in common with even your worst enemy
- A missed opportunity for dialogue is a missed opportunity for conflict resolution
- The power of empathy – put yourself in the other person’s shoes
WHAT’S DRIVING WHITE SUPREMACY TODAY?
Daryl Davis has been studying and connecting with some of the biggest promulgators of white supremacy for nearly 40 years. He understands their fears and their quest for power. His expert opinion is routinely sought after by leading print, broadcast, and online news organizations. In this presentation, Daryl brings business leaders, law enforcement, policy-makers, educators, and average citizens up to speed by explaining where things stand right now and what can be done going forward. Daryl is the voice of knowledge, reason, and tranquility in uncertain, racially turbulent times.
Sample Takeaways:
- What is the threat of a race war?
- Understand the fear of “White genocide through miscegenation” and “the browning of America”
- Why the year 2042 is the white supremacists’ Y2K
- White Flight is over – everywhere you go, there’s already someone there who doesn’t look like you
- How to navigate a rapidly changing and more diverse society
HAIL, HAIL ROCK’N’ROLL – DELIVER ME FROM THE DAYS OF OLD
At its inception, Rock ’n’ Roll was called “the devil’s music” by its detractors. Some cities banned it altogether. Rooted in Black R&B and Blues, its infectious beat led young people in the South to leap over the rope that segregated Whites from Blacks in the audience. The 1957, Chuck Berry lyric, “Deliver me from the days of old,” in his hit song School Days, celebrated the music as a turning point in race relations. Daryl brings that history forward into his own story, using music as a common denominator and proving that musical and racial harmony go hand-in-hand.
Sample Takeaways:
- How musical inspiration differs from musical appropriation
- The Elvis conundrum: How he was crowned King of a genre he didn’t create
- How Country and Blues are the same music, and why society separates them
- How a Black musical genre improved race relations and elected a Black president
- Why music is a cultural necessity and not a luxury
Your presentation was riveting. You are such an engaging speaker and your story is powerful. We are humbled and inspired by the lessons you shared with us, and the knowledge that each of us can make a difference.
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights
By learning from [Daryl's] most extreme experiences, and from those who sit on the extreme side with whom he engages, we could learn leadership lessons that might help all of us... It’s through his courage that we may all explore some of our own.
Executive Director, Leadership Rhode Island
We do have a new bigotry in America…we don’t want to be around anyone disagreeing with us. We self-select our news sources and self-select our encounters. I admire this guy [Daryl Davis] because he did exactly the opposite. You can’t have a culture of encounter if you say I want to encounter interesting new people who know more than I do about nuclear physics but dear God I don’t want to encounter anyone who fundamentally has a different take on things than I do.
President Bill Clinton
Daryl Davis is an inspiration in my personal and professional life. From him, I have learned that no conversation is impossible and no person, no matter how hateful, is beyond reach.
Peter Boghossian, Philosopher, Professor and Author, How to Have Impossible Conversations
Things went very well as usual! Students were left talking about Daryl and his work for the rest of the day and later into the dorms as well…a very successful day…
Dean of Equity & Inclusion, St. Paul’s School
… Our campus LOVED having him here. Very impactful.
Director of the Forester Lecture Series, Huntington University
At all points Davis approaches his quest for information with equally impressive helpings of honesty, good humor and huge reserves of sheer nerve. Davis never ‘spins’ their rationalizations. He just lets his subjects talk, and invariably the wounded, confused and fearful psyches under the bluster are laid bare. Davis consistently approaches each of his subjects as individuals; some he comes to respect and even like. The man has earned his right to preach.
Ann Arbor News
Daryl Davis is hands down one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Daryl is world renowned for his music, & if you ever see him play you will know why. Beyond his amazing musical talents, he has a natural gift for reaching others through dialogue & understanding commonalities. Daryl helped me change my life, & I have seen him do the same for so many others. In today's modern society we often hear people talk about sports stars as heroes, but the real heroes are those who alter the course of lives through change. Daryl is one of those unsung heroes. Daryl's willingness and desire to understand hate, and the psychological manifestations of it have driven him into situations and scenarios that few men would ever dare to walk into, and he does so with a pure heart and unconditional love for humanity. Daryl is the kind of person we should all strive to be like.
NSM (National Socialist Movement) Former Commander
He was fabulous! We had a great turnout too! Couldn’t have been better. Daryl exceeded our expectations!
Director of Community Programs, Roanoke College
Daryl Davis is a voice of reason in the midst of a lot of noise. By word and example he demonstrates that civil discourse across differences is not only possible, but is the only way to change hearts and minds.
Director of College Events, Carleton College
I have a lot of respect for Daryl Davis.
Former KKK Imperial Wizard
Daryl was wonderful! We had a nice crowd and I received a lot of positive feedback… he really connected with those students. It was so impactful to them and it made a sincere difference in their week and their time on our campus. Thank you for working with us so Daryl could speak here!
Director, TRIO Student Support Services, Hibbing Community College
It was awesome. He did really well. Everybody loved him.
Peace Studies Program Director, Golden West College
I trust you [Daryl Davis] more than I trust some of my own Klan members.
Former KKK Imperial Wizard, Current American Patriots USA
It was awesome. He had a great impact on our community. One faculty member said that he was “the best MLK Day speaker in the 21 years that he’s been here.
Dean of Multicultural Education, The Governor’s Academy
Daryl was the right person at the right time for Manchester. His message, timeless, was well, WELL received and is still being talked about on campus almost a week later. We had over 500 people in attendance, the most my Office has had for a presentation like this on campus in the six years I’ve worked for Manchester…
Director of Intercultural Services, Manchester University
I just wanted to let you know that Daryl Davis far exceeded my expectations! I, along with the audience, was very pleased with his presentation.
Manager of Student Affairs, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
The lecture itself was captivating. Daryl is such a great story teller…he really draws you in. I wish we could have let him speak longer so that he could have shared more stories of his encounters, more video clips & some more of his amazing piano skills. There were women on either side of me who could barely contain themselves – they were ready to boogie when he tickled those ivories! Daryl received a much-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the night and I saw many community & campus members approach him for a handshake and photo before his departure.
Convocation Committee, Franklin College (Indiana)
I'm proud to be a friend of Daryl Davis.
Former KKK Grand Dragon