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May 2024
1h 35m

Daryl Davis on Befriending the Klan

YASCHA MOUNK
About this episode

Yascha Mounk and Daryl Davis discuss his lifetime of convincing Ku Klux Klan members to renounce racism.


Daryl Davis is an American R&B and blues musician, author and social activist. Davis estimates he has been the direct or indirect cause for over 200 conversions from the Klan. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.


In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Daryl Davis discuss how a childhood experience with racism inspired him to interview and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan; the importance of remaining “pro-human” even in the face of hatred and bigotry; and whether his faith in humanity feels out of tune with the current political moment.


This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.


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