Best known for his jaw-dropping mastery of Blues, Boogie Woogie, and Rock ‘n’ Roll piano, Daryl Davis is more than just a world-class musician—he’s a man who has turned dialogue into a weapon against hate.
His journey into race relations began in the most unexpected way—when a Ku Klux Klan member complimented his music. Instead of turning away, Daryl asked the question that would define his life’s work: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” That question led him to interview hundreds of Klansmen and White supremacists, many of whom ultimately renounced their racist beliefs—all because one man was willing to sit down and talk.
Author of Klan-Destine Relationships and the upcoming The Klan Whisperer (December 2024), Daryl is the first Black author to document the KKK from firsthand interviews with its leaders and members. His extraordinary journey, chronicled in the documentary Accidental Courtesy, has taken him from hostile encounters to hard-earned friendships, proving that understanding is more powerful than division—and that real change starts with a conversation.
Daryl is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of the Prohuman Foundation.
