Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigations of a Lifetime - Ron Stallworth

I'm definitely a "read the book before seeing the movie kind of person" especially when a movie is about real life events because I know Hollywood has a tendency to make things very "Hollywood". So I was very excited to see this book was available from my library.

Quick and to the point, Black Klansman tells the story of Ron Stallworth's undercover infiltration into the KKK in Colorado Springs in 1979. As a black man, this was an extraordinary feat, and the way he was able to quickly gain the trust of not only the local chapter but also David Duke himself is amusing and a testament to Ron's quick thinking and long range vision for where he wanted to take the investigation. 

Told by Stallworth himself, Black Klansman gives the details of Stallworth's involvement and the intricate politics walked in the police department in order to make this investigation a go. The reader gets to laugh along with Stallworth as the unwitting klan members enthusiastically support his taking over the local chapter and their sincere affirmations that they would absolutely know if they were talking to a black person on the phone (they clearly did not). 

I'm excited to see the movie now. Spike Lee is a master story teller, and while Ron lived the story of a lifetime, his livelihood doesn't rely on his story-craft.  It would all be a good laugh at these silly dum-dums if they weren't so ignorant but also evil. I had no idea that Colorado had such a racist history but there's likely politicians with klan connections in every state in the union when we look closely enough. 

In the face of such ignorant hate, Black Klansman is a good reminder that it's not enough to just not be racist. We need to be anti-racist.

3.5/5 Stars.