Ron Stallworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron Stallworth
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Stallworth in 2019
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| Born | June 18, 1953 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Police career | |
| Department | Colorado Springs Police |
| Years of service | 1972–1980 |
| Rank | Detective |
| Police career | |
| Department | Utah Public Safety |
| Years of service | 1980–2005 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Ron Stallworth (born June 18, 1953) is an American retired police officer. He became famous for secretly joining the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, during the late 1970s. The KKK is a well-known hate group.
Ron Stallworth was the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. His amazing story of going undercover was made into the 2018 film BlacKkKlansman. In the movie, actor John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ron Stallworth was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 18, 1953. When he was young, his mother moved their family to El Paso, Texas. Ron said this move was the best choice his mother ever made. It helped him avoid the poverty and challenges of Chicago's South Side.
He graduated from Austin High School in 1971. While there, he was part of the student council and a district-wide advisory board. He was also voted "most popular" by his classmates.
Joining the Police Force
In mid-1972, Ron Stallworth's family moved to Colorado Springs. This is where he first became interested in becoming a police officer. He joined the Colorado Springs Police Department as a cadet in November 1972. He was the first black cadet in the department's history.
Ron knew early on that he wanted to work as an undercover officer. His first secret assignment came when a speaker named Kwame Ture was invited to a local nightclub. Ron was asked to go undercover to listen to the speech. He was excited to help and later joined the intelligence section of his department.
Going Undercover in the KKK
In 1978, Ron Stallworth saw an advertisement in a local newspaper. It was looking for people to start a new chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs. He decided to respond to the ad by mail, giving them an address and phone number.
A Klan member called Ron. Ron pretended to be a white man who hated Black people, Jewish people, and other groups. During their talk, he learned that the person starting the new KKK chapter was a soldier at Fort Carson. Ron arranged to meet this person at a local bar.
Since Ron was Black, he couldn't go to the meeting himself. So, he sent a white undercover officer from his team to pretend to be him. This officer wore a wire to record their conversation.
The Undercover Operation
The plan worked perfectly. Ron Stallworth continued to pretend to be a Klan member for the next nine months. He mostly talked to other members on the phone. When face-to-face meetings were needed, he would send the white officer in his place.
Ron even called David Duke, who was the leader (Grand Wizard) of the KKK at the time. He called Duke at his headquarters in New Orleans. Ron asked about his membership application. Duke apologized for the delay and promised to make sure Ron's application was processed quickly.
Soon after, Ron Stallworth received his official KKK membership certificate in the mail. It even had David Duke's signature on it! Ron framed the certificate and hung it on his office wall for many years.
After the Investigation
After the secret investigation into the KKK ended, Ron Stallworth kept his role a secret. He didn't tell anyone about what he had done. He later moved to the Utah Department of Public Safety. There, he worked as an investigator for almost 20 years. In 2024, he wrote a book called The Gangs of Zion. This book shares details about his work fighting gang activity in Utah.
Ron Stallworth retired from police work in 2005. After retiring, he went back to school. In 2007, he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Columbia College in Salt Lake City.
In January 2006, Ron Stallworth shared his story in an interview with the Deseret News in Salt Lake City. He talked about how he went undercover and investigated the KKK. He revealed that the investigation found several KKK members who were actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Two of these individuals were working at NORAD. NORAD is a very important command that protects the skies of North America. The two members at NORAD were moved to remote locations, like the North Pole or Greenland.
See also
In Spanish: Ron Stallworth para niños
