Daryl Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daryl Davis
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Davis performing in 2017
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| Born | March 26, 1958 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Years active | 1980s–present |
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| Labels | Lyrad |
Daryl Davis, born on March 26, 1958, is an American R&B and blues musician. He is also an activist who works to fight racism. Daryl is famous for his energetic boogie-woogie piano style. He has played with music legends like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and B. B. King.
Davis is well-known for his unique approach to fighting racism. He talks with members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a group known for its racist beliefs. His efforts have even convinced many Klansmen to leave the KKK. A documentary called Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America was made about him in 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Racism
Daryl Davis was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father worked for the U.S. government as a Foreign Service officer. This meant Daryl moved around a lot as a child. He lived in many different countries, including some in Africa.
In these countries, Daryl went to schools with children from all over the world. Kids of different races and cultures learned together. When he was ten, Daryl moved back to the United States. He joined a Cub Scout pack in Belmont, Massachusetts. This group had been all white before he joined.
During a parade, Daryl was carrying the flag for his Cub Scout pack. People in the crowd threw rocks and bottles at him. The adult leaders had to protect him. Daryl didn't understand why this happened until he talked to his father. His father explained racism to him for the first time. This unfair event made Daryl curious about why people have racist ideas. This curiosity shaped much of his life's work.
Music Career and Achievements
Daryl Davis learned a lot from blues musicians. Many of them came from the Mississippi Delta and moved north. In 1980, he earned a music degree from Howard University. He was part of the university's choir and jazz group.
Famous pianists Pinetop Perkins and Johnnie Johnson were his mentors. They even called him their "godson." They were impressed by how well he could play a piano style that was popular long before he was born.
Davis has often played with music stars like Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. He was also friends with Muddy Waters. Daryl played piano in The Legendary Blues Band. He has performed with many other artists, including B. B. King, The Platters, and Bo Diddley.
In 2009, he won an award for "Best Traditional Blues/R&B Instrumentalist." For several years, Davis was also the artistic director of the Centrum Acoustic Blues Festival.
Daryl Davis's Music Albums
- American Roots (2000)
- Alternate Routes (2008)
- Greatest Hits (2011)
Activism: Talking to the KKK
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Daryl Davis works to improve race relations. He does this by meeting and talking with members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). He even becomes friends with them.
In 1983, Daryl was playing country music in a bar. A man told him he had never heard a black person play as well as Jerry Lee Lewis. Daryl explained that Jerry Lee learned from black blues players. The man then admitted he was a KKK member. They became friends, and the man gave Daryl contact information for KKK leaders.
Years later, Daryl decided to interview Klan members for a book. He wanted to answer a question he had since he was ten: "Why do you hate me when you know nothing about me?"
Daryl met with Roger Kelly, a KKK leader in Maryland. He didn't tell Kelly he was black before the meeting. Kelly came with a bodyguard. But Daryl and Kelly eventually became friends. Kelly even asked Daryl to be his daughter's godfather. When Kelly left the Klan, he gave Daryl his KKK robe.
Davis has become friends with over twenty KKK members. He believes he has directly helped between 40 and 60 people leave the Klan. He thinks he has indirectly helped over 200 people leave. Daryl found that Klansmen often have wrong ideas about black people. These ideas come from being taught hate when they were young. When they got to know him, it was harder for them to keep their prejudices. He wrote about his experiences in his 1998 book, Klan-destine Relationships: A Black Man's Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan.
Klan members have often invited Daryl to their meetings. They have given him their robes and hoods. By 2016, Daryl had collected about 25 or 26 robes.
Daryl believes he helped break up the KKK in Maryland. He made friends with members there, and things "fell apart" for the group. He says, "ignorance breeds fear." This means not knowing about others can lead to fear. If fear isn't stopped, it can lead to hatred. If hatred isn't stopped, it can lead to destruction.
Some of Daryl's friends find his interest in the Klan unusual. His father, William B. Davis, thought Daryl engaged with the Klan to understand their hatred. He wanted to find common ground. His father told The Washington Post that Daryl "has done something that I don't know any other black American, or white American, has done."
Accidental Courtesy Documentary
The 2016 documentary film Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America shows Daryl interacting with KKK members and white supremacists. The film also shares different views on his work from groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Black Lives Matter.
Minds Social Network and Deradicalization
Daryl Davis is an advisor for Minds, a social media platform. He uses this platform to teach people how to have respectful conversations. He wants to help people find common ground and build tolerance.
In an interview, Daryl said that Minds is a place where people can share different ideas. They can even share beliefs that are not popular. He believes that the skill of talking to each other has been lost. He thinks this platform helps people be open and have conversations.
Davis believes that education is the best way to stop hate. He says, "If you fix the ignorance, there's nothing to fear. If there's nothing to fear, there's nothing to hate. If there's nothing to hate, there's nothing or no one to destroy."
In 2019, Minds and Davis started the Deradicalization Initiative. This project aims to fight online extremism. It offers workshops, meetings, and educational materials to promote tolerance.
Changing Minds Podcast
As part of the Deradicalization Initiative, Daryl Davis hosts a podcast called Changing Minds. The show talks about many topics, including politics, music, and race. Guests on the show have included:
- Former Ku Klux Klan leader Scott Shepherd.
- Former Al-Qaeda recruiter Jesse Morton.
- David Kaczynski, brother of the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.
- Charles Berry Jr., Chuck Berry's son.
- Blues guitarist Bob Margolin.
- Documentary director and human rights activist Deeyah Khan.
- Journalist and author Brian Karem.
Acting Career
Daryl Davis has also acted on stage, in movies, and on television. He had a small role in the HBO TV series The Wire. He performed in plays like William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life and Elvis Mania in New York City. He also received good reviews for his role in Zora Neale Hurston's Polk County.
