Trump made it impossible to 'turn a blind eye to racism' — by bringing it to the forefront': author
REUTERS PICTURES 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION: A tattoo on the knuckles of a Klansman reads "Love" as he participates with members of the Nordic Order Knights and the Rebel Brigade Knights, groups that both claim affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, in a cross lighting ceremony on a fellow member's property in Henry County, Virginia, August 9, 2014. The Ku Klux Klan, which had about 6 million members in the 1920s, now has some 2,000 to 3,000 members nationally in about 72 chapters, or klaverns, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors extremist groups. REUTERS/Johnny Milano SEARCH "REUTERS PICTURES 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION" FOR THIS PACKAGE
In his late 2024 book "The Klan Whisperer," Daryl Davis — an African-American blues/R&B musician based in Maryland — describes the interactions he has had with white supremacists over the years, including members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the American Nazi Party. Davis, now 67, recalls being threatened and attacked by them, but he also discusses his interactions with them in one-on-one conversations.
Davis' book was released in December, when Donald Trump was president-elect and Joe Biden's presidency was drawing to a close.
During an interview with the Baltimore Sun's Ruben Castenada published in Q&A form in early October, Davis argued that in a sense, Trump has done Black Americans like himself a favor: By being so overtly racist, Davis stressed, he is making is hard to deny the fact that racism is still a problem in the United States.
"Donald Trump did not invent racism," Davis told Castenada. "However, Donald Trump has given racists carte blanche to operate freely upon their ideology. Not everybody who voted for Donald Trump is a racist. But every racist voted for Donald Trump. And I would say that Donald Trump is the best thing that's happened to this country. I don't mean to say he's a good person or that he's done great things for the country. When I say he's the best thing, he has brought racism to the forefront."
Davis continued, "Until him, people were trying to turn a blind eye to it. 'Oh, we had a Black president, racism is over now.' Because of Donald Trump, we can no longer turn a blind eye, because everywhere you look, it's there. We can no longer ignore it. I see it as a wakeup call to this country if…. (it) wants to survive."
The musician/author noted that in the past, the KKK attracted some prominent figures — including Democrats.
"A Klansman, a Klanswoman, a white supremacist of any affiliation, whether neo-Nazi, Proud Boy, Patriot Front, whatever, is not stamped out of a standard cookie-cutter," Davis told Castenada. "They come from all walks of life, all socioeconomic backgrounds, and levels of education. They go from a third-grade dropout that you see on 'Jerry Springer' or 'Geraldo' throwing chairs on the stage, all the way to the president of the United States."
David added, "President Warren G. Harding was sworn into the Ku Klux Klan in the green room of the White House. Harry Truman joined the Klan for a very short time. He got out and went on to become president. Hugo Black was in the Klan in Alabama when he got the Supreme Court appointment. Some work at the White House, some work pumping gas. Some are schoolteachers, people who work in grocery stores, or in a police department."
Read Ruben Castenada's full Baltimore Sun interview with Daryl Davis at this link.
