Spring Blossom

 

Daryl Davis is an R&B/Blues musician who played with Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Muddy Waters. But his real claim to fame is in a quite different field. Daryl is an African-American who deliberately befriended Roger Kelly, a KKK Grand wizard. He spent years cultivating a friendship with Roger. Instead of hating Roger, Daryl listened to him. He even attended klan rallies as Roger’s guest. Eventually, Roger began listening to Daryl, too. In the end, Roger denounced the KKK, and gave Daryl his robe and hood as a token of his changed heart. Roger received robes and hoods from more than 200 former klansmen in just this way. “These individuals are, like it or not, our fellow Americans,” says Daryl. “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.”