You cannot beat the hate out of a person, but you can love it out of them. I am living proof that friendship, love, and patience can transform the hearts of those you once thought were beyond reach.

One time, Roger Kelly, Imperial Wizard of the KKK and I went to a show titled "RACISM: WRONG OR WHITE" at Howard University, featuring panelists like Reverend Jesse Jackson. I had invited Roger, not to speak, but to listen and observe different perspectives on racism. He agreed, showing up in a nice business suit. Upon arriving at Howard, despite the producer's assurance of Roger's welcome, the situation worsened. Roger was uncomfortably placed in the front row, contrary to his wish to simply observe. This positioning exposed him to potential confrontations from studio guests. Despite his discomfort, Roger chose to stay and watch the show. Suddenly, just before the show went live, Roger was removed from the audience. The reason given was 'security concerns.’ I challenged the producer and even showed them the invite where it was approved that Roger would be on the guest list and in the audience. Finally, the head producer stepped in and said " I don't want him in here and I have the final say!" Roger did not come to recruit, convert, or even dialogue for that matter. He wanted the experience to learn firsthand about victims of discrimination. Roger has come a long way at this point, the imperial wizard of the KKK went to Howard University, by himself, to accompany a Black man to a predominantly Black environment showing a great deal of trust and willingness to learn and a desire to be exposed to the other side. This was a commendable positive step forward only to be pushed 100 steps back. Instead of allowing him this experience and exposure, he became, at the hands of a Black man, the victim of the very thing Blacks have fought so hard in this country to abolish. The incident made me question the openness of academic and social platforms in addressing uncomfortable truths. This experience made me reflect on how real understanding and reconciliation can only arise from confronting and engaging all perspectives, not just the agreeable ones. Discrimination of any kind, against any color of skin, cultural background, ethnic origin, etc is racist. As for Roger, despite this incident, years later he left the Klan and we are still best friends today.

If I, a Black man, can talk to and befriend KKK members, you can talk to co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends who don’t share your views, too.

I never set out to convert anyone in the Klan. I just set out to get an answer to my question: "How can you hate me when you don't even know me?"

People ask me all the time “Daryl why do you keep these robes & hoods?!” I keep them because maybe I’ll make a museum someday. And I keep them because we don’t burn our history—we learn from it. That’s something a white supremacist group would do and I definitely do not want to be like them. They’re all about erasure, pretending things never happened. But these robes show real change, and that’s a history we should hold onto.

Seeing a Klansman change is a reminder that no one is beyond reach

True strength comes from recognizing our shared humanity and building bridges across our differences.

It was an honor and pleasure to be interviewed by the great @joerogan. piped.video/oGTQ0Wj6yIg

I have received hundreds of robes, hoods, flags, etc. This is only possible with respectful dialogue, patience, and time.

It's not about converting; it's about conversing. Understanding comes from dialogue, not debate.

This is Imperial Wizard Billy Snuffer of the Rebel Brigade Knights. I met with him a few times before this picture was taken. But on this day he was attending a court hearing for a fellow Klan member. As we were talking in front of the court house a crowd was drawing near that came in protest of that Klan member. A woman in particular starts yelling: “Get the f**k out of Charlottesville,” “You’re a person of color. Why the hell are you talking to them?” she asks. I reply: “That’s right, I am a person of color, But I’m also an American and so is this man right here.” For change to happen, you must recognize the similarities, even with people who hate you. It is all part of the conversation and bridge I hope to build. I know Snuffer will not change overnight. And I know some people may not be ready to see a black man trying to make sense of what the Klan has to say. Driving home that night my cell phone rings. It’s the Imperial Wizard calling to make sure I got home safely. A caring call. Perhaps the seed was sprouting. That is how change begins.

Tours world w/music/lectures 30+yrs experience of encounters w/Grand Dragons/Imperial Wizards/neo-Nazi Commanders. Talks race reconciliation, inspiring racists/ non-racists to redirect their positions toward working together to truly make America the greatest country it can be.

These individuals are, like it or not, our fellow Americans. Through understanding and patience, we can find unity. It's about transforming fear into friendship, one conversation at a time. For the sake of our future, let us start talking WITH each other.

Hear Joe Rogan talking about my work and experiences fighting racism by talking & developing friendships @joerogan #KKK #Neonazis #JoeRogan #TheJoeRoganExperience #Klan @DamelioNetwork

Let’s say you have a group of 20 people who are anti-racist, and all you do is talk about how bad racism is. Well, what good is that group doing? Stop preaching to the choir. If you and I agree, I’m not accomplishing anything by trying to convince you of what you already know.

Bob White, retired from the Baltimore Police Department & former Grand Dragon. He had been arrested & put in jail for conspiring to bomb a synagogue. Because of our conversations and friendship, he renounced his hateful ideologies & left the Klan. We are still good friends today.

Wishing ALL Americans of all colors a Happy Juneteenth.

One of my favorite excerpts from the "I Have a Dream" speech: "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." Bc I have lived it many times. #mlk

Challenge yourself this holiday season: engage with someone you might not normally connect with. Find just one thing you have in common. Even if it feels like a small moment, I guarantee it plants a seed. Small, incremental steps can unravel misconceptions and spark profound change over time. Let’s build bridges, one conversation at a time.

I’ve been called an Uncle Tom, an Oreo, a sellout - all sorts of derogatory terms. These insults often stem from ignorance, as some people have not taken the time to understand my story. I know where I stand and what I’m doing. This is not for me but for the good of humanity.

Cancelling people is not the answer, folks. Like treating a pervasive illness, combating racism requires persistent, consistent, and comprehensive efforts—listening, conversation, education, awareness, and empathy. This will create change.

You cannot hate the hate out of a person and you cannot beat the hate out of a person. But you can love it out of a person. Happy New Year! #HappyNewYear

Keep the lines of communication open. Kindly and respectfully ask thought provoking questions. Over time this will help break down barriers. #daryldavis #racereconciliator #overcominghate #barrierbreaker #onehumanity #communication #conversation #peace

It’s very easy to hate from a distance, but very difficult up close.

You never know when an opportunity might arise to catalyze change.

Knowledge breaks fear.

This post has 12 of the most powerful quotes from my documentary "Accidental Courtesy." Thanks to @Edlatimore for putting them together and exposing the film to more people. edlatimore.com/accidental-co…

Prejudice is the emotional commitment to ignorance.

Our skins may vary, but our hearts beat the same rhythm. Let's tune into harmony, not discord.

It's a lot harder to hate someone up close.

Hate must be countered, but not with more hate; it has to be countered with knowledge, understanding, and compassion.

Ex-Klansmen have shared with me the impact of our conversations. After talking with a black man for hours, they go home, reflect, and face cognitive dissonance. 'He was black but made sense.' It plants a seed, forcing them to question: Continue the lie, or acknowledge the truth?

Being a Black musician who's befriended those lost in the shadows of white supremacy, I've learned that hate's melody can be rewritten with chords of compassion.

Can you spot me? 👀 This is me in my 4th-grade class. I did not even know the word "racism" or "racist" at this point in my life.

You're not going to beat the meanness out of a mean dog. You start beating a mean dog, it's gonna become more mean. You start beating racists, they're gonna become more racist.

We are one race, the human race.

You have to treat people with dignity and respect even if you don't agree with them.

Here in my home, the Imperial Wizard sings along as I play the piano. Music truly bonds us, humans. The Imperial Wizard begins telling me a story about the symbolic meaning of the American flag. The Wizard chokes up talking about the soldiers who defended that flag. He begins wiping tears from his face…. I let him continue for as long as he likes, and then ask a question "If you're so moved and give so much respect to a symbol of America, like the flag, how can you not show that same reverence for the office of the presidency, also a symbol, when speaking of Obama?" “You know, you’re right,” Wizard says. It’s a small win. But it's the moments I work for.

Every missed opportunity for dialogue is a missed opportunity for conflict for resolution.

George Washington Carver Scientist/educator humanitarian with extraordinary challenges changed history. In times of division his story inspires us to focus on what unites us & build a brighter more connected future. Together let’s honor his legacy & #SeeTheGoodNow @SeetheGoodNow

We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.

That first unexpected toast from a Klan member in a country bar turned into a lifelong mission to challenge hatred with the question: 'How can you hate me, when you don’t even know me?'

Understanding doesn't mean you accept or agree, but that you acknowledge there is a different side to the story.

Our skins may vary, but our hearts beat the same rhythm. Let's tune into harmony, not discord.

Each piece of Klan paraphernalia I've collected marks a step taken away from hate, towards a greater understanding - proving that even the deepest divides can be crossed.

You learn a lot more from those who don't agree with you than from those who do.

There's not much difference between a black racist & a white racist. We can learn to get along. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we must respect one another & work for the same common goal. The best way for us to be defeated is by dividing and conquering.

Though the idea of being friends with a person whose belief system you despise sounds like an impossibility, I believe I have demonstrated that it's very possible for 2 diametrically opposed human beings to learn & accept enough about each other to coexist without strife.

Armed with knowledge, not weapons, I embarked on a journey to confront hate with dialogue.

People always say to me ‘Daryl, how can you have this stuff? Why don’t you burn it?’ As shameful as it is, it's a part of American history. You don’t burn our history, regardless of the good, the bad, and the ugly—and the KKK is as American as baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet.

I’ve been to 57 countries on six continents. No matter how far I’ve gone, I’ve observed the same thing: we human beings all want the same things. We want to be respected. We want to be loved. We want to be heard.

I have an imp message to share w/the world. @DamelioNetwork says "There is no #keynotespeaker like Daryl Davis. The lessons he imparts from meeting hate w/civility reveal the power we all have to make the world a better place through our communication & actions."#diversityspeaker

Many times I knew more about the Klan and its history than many of its members. That really surprised them! Knowledge, information, wit, and the way you disseminate these attributes can often prove to be a more disarming weapon against an enemy, than violence or weapons.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” -Mark Twain

Happy 4th of July. Let us work together to make this country better for all of us.

My collection of over 200 items of hate isn't a trophy case, but a testament to the possibility of change, one conversation at a time.

People learn racism through dialogue. Somebody tells them about it. So if you can learn it through dialogue, you can also unlearn it through dialogue. Let’s talk it out.

Hate is a burden. Dialogue is the shovel that lets us dig it out.

Listening to others, even in disagreement, is a virtue we are quickly forgetting in our society.

Sometimes you have to agree to disagree, and you agree to respect each other’s right to free speech.

The most important thing I learned is that when two enemies are talking, they're not fighting.

When two enemies are talking, they're not fighting...They might be yelling and screaming and beating their fists on the table, but at least they're talking...it's when the talking ceases, that the ground becomes fertile for violence.

I respect someone's right to air their views whether they are wrong or right. Let people show you who they are, then the change can begin.

My mission is to seek out those who hate and offer them a chance for dialogue and understanding.

Until people feel better about themselves, they will look for someone else to step on in order to negatively gain what they cannot positively achieve.

A Klansman is not stamped from a standard cookie cutter. They come from varied backgrounds, education levels, and environments, leading to their decision to join the Klan. The one common denominator: lack of exposure to others who may not look like them or believe as they do.

🎥 Part 1 of 10 This is a 10 part reel series that shows the power of respectful dialogue. #daryldavis #communication #dialogue #friendship

My journey began with a simple act of sharing music, yet it opened doors to challenging the roots of hatred.

Friend Richard Wayne Penniman,Little Richard helped create Rock'n'Roll & put th woooo in Rock'n'Roll is gone. 1-of-a-kind singerpianist/performer. There'll neverB another like him. Thks4 yr music/influence on me/friendship.I kn you'll Bwooing up a storm up there #RIPLittleRichard

Discovering common ground in the universal language of music was the first step towards dismantling prejudices.

Every missed opportunity for dialogue is a missed opportunity for conflict for resolution.

Find the similarities, the things that you have in common. You'd be surprised how much you have in common with someone who you thought you were totally polar opposites with.

Conversations can disarm the most deeply entrenched beliefs. Holding a Klan robe handed over in trust proved to me the power of dialogue over division.

I am not so naive as to think everyone will change. There are certainly those who will go to their graves as hateful, violent racists. But never give up on them- just re-prioritize them.

Ignorance can be cured, but there's no remedy for stupidity.

When we choose to listen instead of judge, we create space for empathy and understanding.

Every February, I hope we'll see that Black history & White history are not separate - they are both essential parts of American (& World) history. Let's talk & learn together, throughout the ENTIRE year. Let’s embrace this shared journey, every day, to build a future together!

Change can come, if you are willing to engage those with whom you disagree.

As a musician and Race Relations Expert here's my view on the power of COVID-like crises in extremist movements and how it can affect a young person. #Covid_19 @parentsforpeace

I respect someone's right to air their views whether they are wrong or right.

A lot of the media says, 'oh, black musician converts X-number of Klansmen.' I never converted one. But over 200 have left that, the white supremacy movements, because I have been the impetus for that.

Hate is the byproduct of fear. If we can solve the root cause of that fear, we can change minds.

Each robe in my collection is a story of transformation, a testament to the power of conversation over conflict.

Everybody likes music. And Rock'n'Roll - that was the music that brought White youth and Black youth together for the first time in American music history. Music is indeed the universal language and unites people.

We all are human beings, we all want the same basic things in life.

When you make friends with me, you have a friend for life.

Meeting an Imperial wizard's robe face to face in my home was a stark reminder that the artifacts of hate can be transformed into milestones of understanding.

We need more contemplation before condemnation.

Had an opportunity to share some thoughts with @Newsweek recently newsweek.com/former-kkk-lead…

Enjoyed my conversation in January 2020 with @joerogan piped.video/oGTQ0Wj6yIg

Fear is the greatest barrier to human growth.

Time and exposure are great healers, perhaps the only healer of irrational fear and hatred. Laws can be made to take people out of the Klan, but laws cannot be made to take the Klan mentality out of people. The best way we can learn to respect each other is to know each other.

This is an excellent breakdown of the objectives/hopes of my work in meeting w/members of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists/separatists/nationalists. @Edlatimore does a great job expanding on my work's important points and ideas. Check it out. edlatimore.com/daryl-davis-b…

My dialogue with those in the depths of hate isn't about converting but about confronting fears with the undeniable truth of our shared humanity.

Very true!

We can't change the past, but we can shape the future. It is up to us to create a world where hate, of any kind, has no place.