Daryl Davis. Vimeo/Accidental Courtesy
A man who embarked on an interesting journey, to discover how certain individuals can hate others that they do not know, has converted over 200 people from the KKK.
Blues musician, Daryl Davis, who is 58 years old, has dedicated years of his life travelling America and forging friendships along the way with members of various groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Independent.
Davis, who has played alongside musical legends such as Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, claims that he has been the cause of 200 people leaving their positions within the KKK, and have even given him their ceremonial hoods and robes as a sign of their permanent cut-off from the hate group.
Davis’s journey, and the impact that he has had on these individuals, is all documented in a new show called Accidental Courtesy, which aired in January 2017.
He claims during his interview with the Independent, “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?’ I simply gave them a chance to get to know me and treat them the way I want to be treated. They come to their own conclusion that this ideology is no longer for them.”
However, despite his efforts that some deem as brave, his journey has been seen by others as controversial, with people questioning his choices to speak to members of these extreme groups.
Davis speaks with a member of the Ku Klux Klan in a scene from “Accidental Courtesy.” Vimeo/Accidental Courtesy
During an interview with the Atlantic, he spoke about an incident where a member of NAACP criticised his actions. He said, “I had one guy from an NAACP branch chew me up one side and down the other, saying, you know, we’ve worked hard to get ten steps forward. Here you are sitting down with the enemy having dinner, you’re putting us twenty steps back. I pull out my robes and hoods and say, ‘look, this is what I’ve done to put a dent in racism. I’ve got robes and hoods hanging in my closet by people who’ve given up that belief because of my conversations sitting down to dinner. They gave it up. How many robes and hoods have you collected?”
Keep up to date with new details on the film’s website and official Facebook page.
About The Author
Jess Murray is a wildlife filmmaker and conservation blogger, having recently returned from studying wildlife and conservation in South Africa, she is now striving to spread awareness about the truth behind faux conservation facilities throughout the world. You can follow Jess on Facebook Here