How a Black Klansman Infiltrated the KKK

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courtesy Ron Stallworth

A close-up of Ron Stallworth.

Ron Stallworth

As the first Black police detective in Colorado Springs in the late 1970s, Ron Stallworth infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. It's an improbable-but-true story recounted in his book Black Klansman: A Memoir, which was the basis of Spike Lee's excellent 2018 film, BlacKkKlansman. Stallworth will participate in a virtual talk and Q&A as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate's Distinguished Lecture Series; watch here for info on a livestream option. (And if you haven't seen the movie, it's screening at 5:30 p.m. at the Marquee.)

media release: Join the Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series alongside Ron Stallworth, the former law enforcement officer and New York Times bestselling author most well known for infiltrating the Klu Klux Klan in 1978 as the first Black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department, who will be joining remotely for a moderated conversation and Q&A broadcasted onto the screen in the Marquee Cinema, from 8:00 - 9:30pm. It is is open to the public and free of charge, no tickets needed! Livestreaming information will be released closer to November 2, and will be able to be found on this page.

Earlier, join WUD Film for a free screening of BlacKkKlansman at 5:30 pm in the Marquee.

Ron Stallworth is a law enforcement veteran and the first black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. He has worked undercover narcotics, vice, criminal intelligence, and organized crime beats in four states. His #1 New York Times bestselling book, Black Klansman: A Memoir, is the basis for the major motion picture BlacKkKlansman, written and directed by Spike Lee and starring John David Washington and Adam Driver. The film received six nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor, and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also earned four nominations at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Drama.

In 1978, Ron worked undercover and infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan chapter in Colorado Springs. By recruiting his partner Chuck to play the "white" Ron Stallworth in person, while speaking as himself to Klan members over the phone, Ron helped sabotage cross burnings, expose white supremacists in the military, and combat domestic terrorism. Even more incredibly, Ron also befriended (and fooled) Grand Wizard David Duke. Later on, Ron led an undercover investigation into the anti-Klan protesters of the Progressive Labor Party. Raised in El Paso, Texas, Ron received his B.A. in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College in 2007. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 Outstanding National Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gang Crime Research Center. His media appearances include interviews with MSNBC, CNN, NPR, BBC, Vice magazine, Daily Mail, and more. In addition to Black Klansman, Ron is also the author of Bringing the Noise: Gangster-Reality Rap and the Dynamics of Black Social Revolution and Gangsta Code: The Sociological Implications of Gangster Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture.